‘’There are many Tales of Terra-Prime,among the world plates about
and within Pangea from the long,torchurous events of Lord Thrull Khonn’s war against the Imperial
Carthorean Empire,to the trials of the Starkillers fight against the
Trongaroth/Metrone Incurretion.There some who choose to believe the false holo
records,place down there enemies and stored within Great Halls of Time,and dark
grimeires of the allies of the dark lords of time and space.Choose those if you
will,but nothing untruth will you get from the likes of allies of a
Shaitanus,Karza and Moonthorn,no matter what their clans ancient temporal
records of once great interstellar adventures with Count Harlan Sarkhon and his
descendents.Over time many truths have twisted into falsehoods and interstellar
pathfinder wives tales.

There is the heroic tales of the Imperial House Clans of Rhann and
Khonn,to reform the Pangean Crescent Lands and those worlds around it.Then
there are Tales of the Great Houses of Redhawk,Greystone,Gullivar,Jones,Morningstarrs,The
Great Jovan Clans of the Rockaways,the Sojats,the Paxtons and so on.Many fought
knowingly and unknowing to protect the Great Terran sphere against the Dark
Lords of the Cosmos,with the help of the Lords of Light-the Atlanteans and
allies,to defeat the Tauron Allience Temporal Cold War,and make this a great
interstellar foothold in thei eon old war against time and space.

The Great Holo Libraries,many found within the scatterings of New
Genisis Bunkers,Halls of Time,where the Temporal Grimieres are found,also at
time include the Tales of lesser Clans.Foremost among these is the Fighting
O’Briens and Wanderings of the Steelwulf Houses.Many have shapped the tales and
lands of the Great Sphere and among,not so forgotten is the Grand Tales of the Darkwater
Clan.Cheif among is one Captain Eric Darkwater and stawert,giant commanion
Phafnire Khonn,who at time encounter many of the Great Sphere’s other heroe.But
this one,is how the two met again,under strange circumstance and formed a
partnership that lasted years,to create legends that perhaps also lasted eons
past.My father,now semi retired,recorded these tales and retold again to me,as
a child,after befeifly becoming an admirel in the service of Prince Toreus Rhann,Junior
once took the Imperial Emerald Throne of Thuvia and second Emporer of Pangea.’’

Admirel Atlas Darkwater,son of Eric Darkwater from the journals of
the house of Darkwater.Tales of Terra-Prime series.found with the Temporal
Grimieres,in the Halls of Time,New Genisis Bunkers Archives.Atlantean
Intertemporal Computer Cloudnet

New Genisis Bunkers Archives 08117.

Captain Eric hans Personal Log.

ñ

The mighty Storm raged on.as two great cillindrical air ships
plowed through the pounding rain and the thunderous winds behind them.Lighting
strikes pured down the distance like Great Zeus Centauris of Olympus-Prime or
Prince Thor Odenshield of Asguard-Prime,raging their anger upon the world from
the heavens.Violent storms had come more frequent,than was natural,even with
artificial world,with weather control systems in place.Scattered throught the
worldplate of Pangea,that sat as one of
world dome of Terra-Prime-a huge dysonsphere,that floated among the
Vault of Heavons,was weather towers,many
situated within the New Genisis Bunkers and Star Cital towers located above
them,help maintain perfect weather for land and seas.Except for here.The
Western Pangean Seas erupted with violent waves below the lightning strikes.The
larger one above,was gaining on the smaller vessel ahead.The Berghundian Larger
Air Traveller Yotugah class air ship shoot out a luminous flare,as something
much like an electro magnetic plasma ball ejected itself from ship’s lower
belly gun turret,located off of the gyro stabilizer engines-mounted twine
armlike projections off of each side of the vessel,and bouncing off the forward
ships upper navigational fin.The Chathayan fan like fin,exploded into a mass of
burning splinters and burnt debris.The smaller ship jerked sideways,as recover
from violent explosion that plummed outward from it ruddered aft section.

The
same gale had caught the Berghundian Air Traveller-the same vessel on which Captain Eric Darkwater had been a passenger,
driving her off her course from the Great Subatall Islands ,found in the Great
Pasific Ocean and far southward the Misty Ilse to the far west.Darkwater,had
sent by General Kotharr Khonn,Senior,on orders of the Pangean Empiror himself
Toreus Rhann,the Elder,to check out reports of High Admirel Tardos Sojat and
his Lemurean Air Pirates attacking transport ships moving along the Subatall
Trade routes from Misty Ilses to the Subatall Islands.

Captain Eric hans personal mission log;

My father Admirel Atlas Darkwater,had instowed into me,this sence
of duty,whereas my mother Alice,had instowed a sence of freedom from
duty.Mismatch torn natures,that spurned onto the Thuvian Rangers Corpse and
also freedom for adventure.I had heard the the stories,my father served with
both the Subatall Islanders and the Thuvian Navy.How they routed out the Vhall
Shakharr pirate navy,as much as the ancient Carthorean Navies,that appose the
United Kingdoms of Pangea Navies. Islands of the Vhall Shakharr had become a
nuascence for the Subatall Islands for as long could remembered.It was some
minor dispute over trade routes or something,that gotten out of hand.The
disputes errupted into wars and quited down,only to started again by whomever
was in power with the Vhall Shakharr Royal Family-who also trace their bloodline
back the very origins of the original island group or so it was told.They were
also some sort of fanatics-urged by ancient,traditions,that they all slaves
too.Many myths-many legends surrounded the Vhall Shakharr-some true and others
made out of old sailors tales about the area.

The outside
storm interupted Eric hans personal log.He was done with recording and
stopped,by way of Thuvian Rnger Combadge,his utility belt comlink.He’d keep it
on silent active mission recording,but no more personal logs for now.No time
for now.The mission logs would piece together any upcoming events from future
recording.

Empiror
Toreus Rhann was conserned this distant turmoil,Darkwater thought.He could not
directly become involved,but could sent out agents.Secret Thuvian agents.His
First Son,Prince Toreus Rhann,Junior was off in a trainning exersizes among the
Thuvian Highlands and at this Princess Tameara Kaluta ,was deemed to young for
such a daring mission,as the Pangean Empiror thought so.Kotharr
Khonn,junior-first son of General Kotharr Khonn,Senior was sent among the
Subatall Islands and gathered certain intelligence about Tardos Sojats
daughter-the lovely Princess Antillus Sojat-currently blond moving within the
area.Empiror Toreus Rhann,never having any sort of control or influence upon
that rogue Tardos Sojat and feeling on the advice of David
Greystone¡ªnamesake and descendant of the original General David
Greystone,ancestor had been a hero of the Trongoroth Incursion and David
Greystone was the head of the Pangean Secret Service.,to send a trusted agent
to look into matters further.

The
Subatallians claimed that their air ships and sea ships had difficulty making
any peace gestures toward their hated enemies.Freak storms during battles,just
the one raging outside now would come up suddenly.It was all quite
strange.Sure,the South Seas of Pangea,could come about suddenly,but those
during hot,summer months,when wind and storms were more frequent.These were
odd.Uncanny,Kotharr Khonn told him.Strange,too and needed Eric Darkwater to
varifly,as well.

Kotharr Khonn,junior had worked Eric Darkwater before.He
recamended him,because pilotting skills,limitted spy craft,expert with hand
weapons and so on.Darkwater,also knew allot of the area.He knew how read the
area,for any sights of piculiar pirate activety.

The Empiror and his Privy Councle all agreed so,too.Eric Darkwater,had
knowledge of the Subatall Islands as a child.His father,a Thuvian Sailor,among
the Imperial Thuvian Navy,stationed along with the Subatall Imperial Navy.It was
apart of the treaties between the Southern Seas of the Subatall civilition and
the Pangean Crescent Lands to the Greater North..The Subatall Islands and Vhall
Shakharr,were a minor island civilation.But,it was feared,the dark lords might
use this area as a means to tip the balance of power among the Pangean world in
their favor.If so,the Great Empiror wished to secretly tip it in the favor of
his allies the Time Sorcerers and their allies the Lords of Light.So Eric Darkwater
was one such agent to bring about that balance.He was told,there were
others,that Kotharr Khonn,Junior was imformed others had sent to assist him.

''Hold her steady,Jake.''the Captain ordered.''If were lucky we
might make it to a suitable port.''

Eric Darkwater sat nerviously in his passengers seat.Outside his
port one of those Western Pangean Seas storms raged on.Thunderous rain and wind
hit hard upon the vessels engines.He was thankful,despite the great storm,that
gremlins were not tairring into the ships propulsion nacelles.Captain Eric Darkwater,thought,if
only he could get up.Help fly this dammed ship and make the Subatall Islands or
even the Misty Islands.Both were a series of huge island continents,strung
acrossWestern Pangean Seas,settled by various Polineans and Asiadic people from
various Terran homeworlds.

Captain Eric Darkwater,seemed a suitable choise,being he stationed
not far from the Subatall and Misty Ilses,at Fort Jefferson Taylor,named after
another hero of the Great Trongaroth/Metron/Mystrann Wars,along the
Western Ithmarr Coaste of New Lankmeer
City.Darkwater,having worked Kotharr Khonn,Junior from time to time,was the
best,most trusted Thuvian Ranger for the operation.Trainned in the Thuvian
Rangers Corps.Specializing in the pilotting of air craft,most notably air
ships-also known as Air Travellers,hover craft,fighter craft,Steeds ,Speeder
Bikes,Land Speeders and Speeder cars.Under the tutorage of Kotharr
Khonn,Junior,Eric Darkwater learned abit about spy tradecraft-something
suitable for this mission.

The airships paragravity engines-the Greater Paragravity Engine
Ring below,that gave the traveller lift and twine aft ones-paragravity repulsor
propulsion nacelle engines behind winced.The storm had caused strain upon the
low,earie queer hum of drive system-a banshee like sound that issued across the
winds of the world.Eric Darkwater clutched the passenger seats armrest.The
Thuvian Ranger began to cause the luck of the Elder Gods gave him.He already
hated the way Kotharr Khonn,Junior and Senior could hodwink him,through
patriotism and duty to the hologods and country into accepting this
mission.Once before,the two Kalladon warriors convinced Darkwater into looking
into the Island of Vhall Shakharr.

Years before,he sent in to look into the strange goings on another
island near the Great Subatall group.That began with him saving a Vhanirman,Phafnire
Khonn from the assination blades of three tanned warriors and led to both
them,joining forces to fight the owner of the island,who was secretly the air
traveller shipping routes from the Pangean mainland to the Subatall
Islands.They took out dark Doctor Julius Sharkoth-an exiled TyKhonean Time
Wizard’s machines,his TyKhonean holosphere,he used to observe the world about
and Ackheronean Jamming Machine,he used to burn out enemy airship,moving upon
the area.Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn
travelled for a time after,but the Thuvian needed report his adventure back to
General Kotharr Khonn,Senior-on behalf of the Pangean Empiror.And Phafnire Khonn,said,he rather tag
along,being,he too,had an employer,that see afterwards.The Big Vhanirman was
secretive of who had sent to the Island of
Doctor Julius Sharkoth-and rather ask,Better not to know,than reveal
aspects of own mission there.

Days and nights had been a
blind, howling chaos in which the ship had been hurled, flying like a wounded
Anderhann Hawk before the storm. And in the very rack of the tempest ,a spiked
prow had loomed among upper billowing above the lower, broader craft.It fired
without warning,hitting the left Propulsion Paragravity Nacelle Engine,causing
to slightly set afire and burn like timber in a forrest fire.Engine,partially
damaged,now causing the vessel to list to right side,slowly moving downward.

Captain John Michaels,had wanted to make toward Misty Ilses
before,the air pirates came upon again.Their the local Avalon City Spaceport
cound send a fleet of Air Ships,along standard sea vessels to take out enemy
craft.There also,HMSS Virgos Run,Captain John Michaels air travellers could be
repaired at the local docking pit cluster.

''Eric Darkwater sat nerviously within his passengers seat.He
activated his Thunderian Ranger star pointed Combadge to open hailling
frequnencies on a secure channel to the ships captain.Eric Darkwater had flown
many air travellers in his time,during his Thuvian military trainning.Once
graduatting from the Pangean Flight Academy,Darkwater was assigned to pilot air
ships for Thuvian Royal Family Pangean Empireor himself Toreus Rhann and his
lovely wife Cassandra .Daughters Andromida Rhann,young Theaseus Rhann and
mostly ,Prince Toreus Rhann,Junior.Hew knew how they felt in flight.Everything
about them.How pinched and rolled in air,aswell as upon the seas of
Terra-Prime.

''Things were made worse by a loasey inflight meal replicated by
the ships service area.These replicator machines,were mostly old Sackette
Celestrial Department Ordering Machines.

The Sackers Celestial Department Store is a store which sells
universally. In order to do so, they have machines placed on various planets.
People can order from these machines, and the product will appear instantly.
Two hard baked potatoes,with Thuvian Brand sour chream,with two aspatigus
fries-what was Darkwater thinking,since hated that vetchtable since
childhood,and a fried fish sandwitch.The TyRhainean Coffee with milk and two
sugars was the best part of the meal,but ship needed to upgrade its manue from
the sparce list presented.You either had a choice between Egg Mister
Bricks,Mister Brick-0-Big Burgers or Mister Brick-0-Big Double Burgers -meat
meals had out of resequence Dinomeat or the one he had Mister Bricks Hot Potatoes,with a choice of
vetables. Mister Bricks Coffee,was about the only thing,their franchise
restuarants and food vending mechines could provide,Everything else gave one a
serious bout of the shits or so Eric hans experience told him.You had the
choise betweenThe TyRhainean Coffee with milk and two sugars,The Jovian Coffee
with milk and two sugars-perfect for Jovian Primatives,but too stronge for his
tastes, The Tellurean Coffee with milk and two sugars .Darkwater wasn’t where
Tulluria was and wasn’t about to take the chance,on something he didn’t know.

Darkwater saw something loom outside the port window.He couldn’t
tell what it was,through all the rain and sick stomuck.Mister Brick should be
trialled for some sort of war crimes,for being allowed to call that stuff
food-let along the kind of crap entertainment that Mister Brick’s stood for.The
only thing worse was all endless,countless Sperue shows.Sperue was the most
pointless,sappy crap ever.Darkwater never finnished the thought.Then something
hit the outer hull and rattled against the deck ring,used for crew and
passengers,in good weather outside to go out among the lower,middle and upper
decks.

Eric
Darkwater could hear the grappling irons had sunk in and pull the enemy ship
closer. Surely these Norsemen were wolves and the blood-lust that burned in
their hearts was not human.He knew some of them.Well,one or two anyway.Darkwater
knew once,the Vhainireman made their minds on a course actions,it was hard to
redirect them toward any other way.They worshipped the Asguard,who existed
beyond the thin veil of temporal space,on another world,much
Terra-Prime.Infact,it was called Asguard-Prime,a dysonsphere and temporal
heavon for those of Asguard blood,plus those allied with them.The Vhanir honor
the like of Supreme Lord Wotann Odinshield,Lord of the Asguard and First Son
Prince Thorr Odinshield,the so claimed by many God of Thunder,Lightning and
storm.

In the terror and roar of
the storm they leaped howling to the onslaught, and while the raging heavens
hurled their full wrath upon them, and each shock of the frenzied waves
threatened to engulf both vessels, these sea-wolves glutted their fury to the
utmost--true sons of the sea, whose wildest rages found echo in their own
bosoms.

The play was quick and desperate; in the momentary illumination a
ferocious bearded face shone before Captain Eric Darkwater, and his swift sword
licked out, splitting it to the chin. In the brief, utter blackness that
followed the flash, an unseen stroke swept Captain Eric Darkwater's helmet from
his head and he struck back blindly, feeling his sword sink into flesh, and
hearing a man howl. Again the fires of the raging skies sprang, showing the
Thuvian the ring of savage faces, the hedge of gleaming steel that hemmed him
in.

Back against the mainmast Captain Eric Darkwater parried and
smote; then through the madness of the fray a great voice thundered, and in a
flashing instant the Thuvian caught a glimpse of a giant form--a strangely
familiar face.He was holding something cilindical in his left hand,about the
size of a knife ...or no ¡K likely somesort of billclub. And then Darkwater,knew
what it was,as the giant pressed a small scarlet stud on the upperside of the
objects hangrip area.He knew as it's tip ignited in an arch of electrical,blue
white snake coils.A stun baton.

''Ho,Little Man.''the booming voice said.''It seems we meet again.

Then scarlet haired giant moved closer with the baton and quickly
thrust the object into Eric hans chest.Even though heavly padded,with light
Thuvian Ranger armor,the stunners electric bolts pentatraited through the
layers and unto the Thuvian Highlanders chest.Eric Darkwater felt a sharp pain.

Then
the world crashed into fire-shot blackness.

Consciousness returned slowly. Captain Eric Darkwater was first
aware of a swaying, rocking motion of his whole body which he could not check.
Then a dull throbbing in his head racked him and he sought to raise his hands
to it. Then it was he realized he was bound hand and foot--not an altogether
new experience.He had held captive before-once among Clearing sight showed him
that he was tied to the mast of the dragon airship whose warriors had struck
him down. Why they had spared him, he could not understand, because if they
knew him at all, they knew him to be an outlaw--an outcast from his clan, who
would pay no ransom to save him from the very pits of Hell.

The wind had fallen greatly about the air ship.The seas below
flowing viently.The Great Air Traveller above the waves, which tossed the long
ship about like childs ballloon in a thunderstormt. A round silver moon,
peering through broken clouds, lighted the tossing billows. The Thuvian, raised
on the wild west coast of the Great Thuvian Highlands, knew that the serpent
ship was crippled. He could tell it by the way she labored, plowing deep into
the thundering winds, heeling to the lift of the surge. Well, the tempest which
had been raging on these southern waters had been enough to damage even such
staunch craft as these Vhanaheimians built.

The same gale had caught the Berghundian Air Traveller-the
same vessel on which Captain Eric Darkwater had been a passenger,
driving her off her course and far southward. Days and nights had been a blind,
howling chaos in which the ship had been hurled, flying like a wounded bird
before the. It had been a slaughter rather than a fight--the Thuvian Ranger had
been the only fighting man aboard the doomed ship--and now he remembered the
strange familiarity of the face he had glimpsed just before he was struck down.

Who--?

"Good
hail, my bold Thuvian, it's long since we met!"

Something flashed in his hand.The big man gave him injection of
something from ships med kit.It seemed to flow through his veins,speading
through his system.

Captain Eric Darkwater stared at the great tall man who stood
before him, feet braced to the lifting of the deck. He was of huge stature, a
good half head taller than Captain Eric Darkwater who stood well above six
feet. His legs were like columns, his arms like oak and iron. His beard was of
crisp scarlet and gold, matching the massive armlets he wore. A shirt of
scale-mail added to his war-like appearance as the horned helmet seemed to
increase his height. But there was no wrath in the calm gray eyes which gazed
tranquilly into the smoldering blue eyes of the Thuvian.

‘’Phafnire Khonn ‘’Darkwater
spoke.’’you old Vhaneirman!"

"Aye¡ªit’s
me.

I
haven’t seen you since the Doctor Julius Sharkoth-Adventure¡ªover a years
ago.’’The Thuvian uttered,dryly snilling

‘’And it's been a long day since that dammed evil bastards guards
gave me this," the giant indicated a thin white scar on his temple.
"We seem fated to meet on days and nights of fury-on lonely island of
doom.’’

Then I fell before sword of
General Mharhai Chang and you saved me from them--alone of all the Vhanir,who
swelt upon that sea shore left alive.’’Darkwater added’’So in turn,I saved you.

‘’Yes we joined our swords
against the good doctor,once you saw his Temporal Ninja were sent say myself
and you’’Eric Darkwater stated.’’Until fate said otherwise.

-And with those women,we took out the devil wizard. Doctor Julius Sharkoth around his holo sphere
and drawned him under it with operation

Tonight it was you who struck me down." He touched the
great two-handed sword strapped to his shoulders and Captain Eric Darkwater
cursed.The Thuvian wenced.Pain shot up his right side.

"Nay, revile me not,my freind" said Phafnire Khonn with a pained expression. "I could have
killed you-but-I struck with my stun baton. but knowing you Thuvian have cursed
hard skulls,and thick body armor,under that uniform of yours. I struck you hard
and fast before you took on half my crew.

‘’How long have I been out?’’

‘’You have been senseless
for hours.

‘’And all this?’’Darkwater gestured to him shackled his chair.

‘’To keep you from falling on yor silly ass,during the storm.The
ships swaying back and forthd,by keeping both ships moving,as a single craft.’’

‘’And who thought of that?You ?’’ Darkwater responded.

No.Sorry.I
can’t credit for it.’’Phafnire Khonn spoke sharply’’My First Mate Commander
Longronn Thornblade thought of it.Something done such air ships,in the old
days,to or two falturing up in the air.’’

‘’And how
will that work?’’

Perhaps enough time to somewhere safe.This area is scattered with
many small and large island groups.’’

"Where are we?"

"Ask
me not.I’m not exactly sure,but we are somewhere near the Island of Vhall
Shakharr. The storm blew us far out of our course. We were sailing around the
coasts of Vhall Shakharr.

‘’As
as I .’’Darkwater responded.’’Spying again were you?’’

“Yes.It
seems many seem interested in the goings of of curse island.

::How
come your not up at the cockpit area?I ‘m a pretty good pilot..’’

“No,good.little
man.We’re on auto pilot now.We can keep her steady,but not for too long.

The
storm hit as we following your ship.When chance threw us in with your vessel,

Now we are racing with the sea-flow, unknowing. The pilots cabin
is crippled and the whole ship lamed.

And
air traveller,I was on.And her crew?

Here,with
you.Their ship is more badly damaged.We can’t untangle the Grappling hook
lines,because,that too is crippled.My men are trying to work at the release
mechasms,but nothing working.’’

“”Fine
job,Phafnire.’’

‘’We
may be riding the very rim of the world for aught I know.’’

“’So
why did you attack my ship?’’Eric Darkwater asked

‘’Because
By Braghali,you were being a fool.I knew you were on this ship.And you were
coming to close to dangerous territory.Believe or not I was trying to save your
stupid,thick headed hide.’’"Phafnire Khonn shoutted.

‘’Gee
thanks.’’Darkwater responded

Swear
to join us and I will let you loose ."Phafnire Khonn stated.’’We
need,everyone-every hand,if we are too get out of this alive.’’

"Well,
well," said Phafnire Khonn tolerantly, ‘’I command here.My men do as I
say.I will loose your hands at least-.if you swear to behave,’’

‘’Ok.by
Thrull Khonn’s will.’’The Thuvian anger commented’’We have nothing to do but
save each other.’’

-Ok,little
man’’Phafnire. ‘’now, set your teeth into this MREWe have little else."

“Replicators out,too I see.’’

Captain
Eric Darkwater ripped to the great package
and tore it’s ravenously.The Thuvian had learned in to eat these military meals ready to eat on
survival missions.No field replicators,there.In Ranger training,you had eat
what either carried with you or could find upon the land.You survived by your
wits.He suddenly,though of the Young Prince Toreus Rhann,half a world,doing the
same,somewhere in the snow swept mountains of the Thuvian Highnlands.How was he
dealing that survival training,while Darkwater sat upon a doomed air ship.

The Vhaneirman watched him a moment, then turned away.He knew from
the previous adventure with good Doctor Shakharr,that the Thuvian Ranger would
keep his word. A strange man, reflected Captain Eric Darkwater, this renegade Vhaneirman
who hunted with the wolf-pack of the North--a savage warrior in battle, but
with fibers of kindliness in his makeup which set him apart from the men with
whom he consorted or so the sea pirate stories went,told enemies of .Captain
Phafnire Khonn and crew.

Phafnire Khonn,from he knew along his Vhanire, were from a small
village,near the Northweast Coast of Vhanaheim.He was father was Faphard
Khonn,a man as brave as his son was.Their may have brothers of sister home.He
seem to remember the name Brunhilda Khonn once being mentioned and an older
brother Niord Khonn,other that Darkwater wasn’t sure.He knew something,like
Phafnire Khonn could trace ancestry to a Imperial Delhonean warrior called
General Braghalli Khonn,who came to Terra-Prime ages ago and settle among the
village of Snowbound Corners-the same town of Phafnire Khonn’s family.

Darkwater
began think back how he got himself into this situation,as the storm and sea
rushed by a porthole.to his right,He had jointed the Thuvian Rangers,out of
duty to father,being the only son of the family,He had sister out someplace
Julianna,but took up a different profession,than he did.He also,wanted fly air
ships such as this and during stationed at Fort Wayne,learned to pilot
airships=mainly air travellers about the base and around it.He trained on night
manuevers,with Kotharr Khonn,Junior.He even few times met the Young Prince
Toreus Rhann and older adopted brother Theaseus Rhann.They seem to have gotten
on well or so he felt.

But
he had counted on missions such as this.It wasn’t mission so much .but the
fact,Kotharr Khonn,Junior managed to send him in,with a backup team and without
a air ship of his own.He prefered the stealthyness of Air Travellers.Their
paragravity,could set for whisper mode-silent hovering and movement about an
area.Although as large many smaller starcraft,they had a low sensor
profile.Something about design-the huge upper,flat balloon shaped decks-that
act as upper cargo decks or trooper and equipment areas. And lower gondella
flight cockpit and command bridge area,plus lower cargo deck.He enjoyed flying
these dammed air craft and think of nothing better to do than that.After this
mission,he’d find someway to manage to receive a more perminate duty flying
ships such as this.The hell with Kotharr Khonn,Junior and his dammed
father.Perhaps,he could use whatever pull,he had with the Young Prince Toreus Rhann
to get more flying airships.The First Son of Thuvia,had like how pilot the
craft and said he was born to pilot such ships.

The air traveller suddenly lurched,as a
horrific wind batteder the ship.The great Vhainirman moved along the ships
Command bridge.Other crewmen were frantically,trying repair the ships many
dissabled systems.Power cables strung from the bridges roof and Phafnir Khonn
grabbed upon one of them,trying to keep humself from strumbling over,one of the
deck seats,fassened in to the ships floor.

The twine air ships reeled on blindly in the night, and Phafnire Khonn , returning with a great
bottle of foaming ale, remarked on the
fact that the clouds were gathering again, obscuring the seething face of the
sea. He left the Thuvian's hands unbound but Captain Eric Darkwater was held
fast to the mast by cords about legs and body. The rovers paid no heed to their
prisoner; they were too much occupied in keeping their crippled ships from
going down under their feet.

At last Captain Eric Darkwater believed he could catch at times a
deep roaring above the wash of the waves otside the air travellers. This grew
in volume, and even as the duller-eared Norsemen heard it, the ship leaped like
a spurred horse, straining in every timber. As by magic the clouds, lightening
for dawn, rolled away on each side, showing a wild waste of tossing gray
waters, and a long line of breakers dead ahead. Beyond the frothing madness of
the reefs loomed land, apparently an island. The roaring increased to deafening
proportions, as the long ship, caught in the tide rip, raced headlong to her
doom. Captain Eric Darkwater saw Lodbrog rushing about, his long beard flowing
in the wind as he brandished his fists and bellowed futile commands. Phafnire Khonn came running across the deck.

"Little chance for any of us," he growled as he cut the
Thuvian's bonds, "but you shall have as much as the rest--"

Captain
Eric Darkwater had snatched the pistol and confidence flowed like wine through
his veins at the familiar feel of the slim, graceful shaft. His weapons were as
much a part of him as his right and left hands.He glaced at the Big red haired
reaver and thought if he must die he wished to die with it in his grip. He
hastily slung the sword to his girdle. All armor had dissappeared into nano
pockets,of his Thuvian Rangers uniform when he had been captured.If needed,he
could activate,once both himself and the Vhanirman had to swim for it.

Eric
Darkwater checked twine pistols-Moonthorn Paxton Atlantean Navy Colt Smart
Pistols.330=232 model 42736.An ancient,but effective hand weapon-used many
Atlantean soldiers and others allied to them eons ago.Light
weight,smart-limited artificial intelligence,found in the weapons handle
grip,that gave the ability to sense the the local environment,by way of the
pistols macroscope and anylize the proper targets for the user to aim at.The
weapons,also optical palm readers,geered to his dna and his only.No one but
could use or fire the pistols-especially against himself.It also could switch
ammo from projectile rounds-electro masgetic plasma balls,stunner pellets to
laser beams.Phafnire Khonn used the same types of pistols.

‘’Weaponds
are ok.’’Darkwater stated.

‘’What
do you expect.’’the Vhanireman responded.

“”I expect nothing,old friend.’’Eric Darkwater said.’’I don’t you
to think me a threat.After all,you did save me-despite the crack with the
baton.’’

"There
are sharks in these waters,you might need them if we are to survive." said
Phafnire Khonn , preparing to activate his heavy mail. " We have to
swim¡ªif these two ships crash short of the beach."

‘’Have
looked out from window recently ?’’Darkwater asked

“No.I’ve
too busy here.’’

‘’Well,by
Thrull man,perhaps we should before crash into a mountain of something.’’

The
storm outside,was still raging.Captain Eric Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn moved
toward the flight cockpit.Nothing could seen by dark clouds and tropical
rain.Several zagged bolts of lighting,followed soom by the loud clap of
thunder,could be seen into distance.The Thuvian was glad,that these bolts were
a long way.Near by strikes,through the air travellers hull,in it’s current
condition,would cause more ship damage,than was needed at this time.

Suddenly,something
loomed in the storm.Two somethings rather.They two omnimous shapes,semi
oval,much their airships,only much larger.A low hum of four paragravity engines
banshee like wale could heard through the storm.

Above,Eric
Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn then
heard,something clanking on the upper hull.The two could hear,just the Thuvian
did before,the loud boom boom booming of grappling hook cannons firing off from
both ship above.Metallic hooks,seem to reach out and grapple onto the twine
aircrafts upper,outer observation deck railling.A large clink-several of them
rather,hit and huge,superstronge Atlantium cables pulled against anchor
hooks.The two air travellers lunched hard.

‘’You
think they’ll try to board us?’’Darkwater asked.

‘’No,freind.The
Vhall Shakharr are mad.’’Phafnire Khonn said ‘’They are so low on resourse,that
they are now stealling air ships to supply their new air fleet.’’

‘’Then
they will draw us to one of the islands-perhaps the main one.’’the Thuvian
surmised

‘’They
may have to beach us this low.’’Khonn responded ‘’Those ships may have the
power to lift us,all the way.’’

‘’If
that happens we might be able to escape.’’Darkwater added.

‘’Then
we escape and do now.’’ Phafnire Khonn said’’They may not see us jump in this
storm.’’

‘’With
sharks in that water as you say?’’The Thuvian warrior added.

‘’We
can survive anything..including sharks.

Eric
Darkwater moved up toward the Command Bridge,where the others stood
about,waitting either fight or flee.Captain Michaels,Jake Wilson and the Vhanire
silently,hoping to hear couragious words from both Eric Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn.

‘’Folks.We’re
not going to fight.The ship above want to take us home to their capitol city.’’Darkwater
said.’’We have a better chance jumping out before,the Vhall Shakharr take us
into the city.

‘’No,I
say we fight,captain.’’

‘’And
if we fight,we’ll die.Here and now.’’ Phafnire Khonn said firmly.’’You know,I’m
no coward,nor is Darkwater here.But a fool,only fights the impossible.Once
inside the city,we’d have a harder time.We be prisoned.Out on the beach,we can
envade and survive.’’

‘’We’re
going to jump into the water.’’Eric Darkwater stated.’’Stay or follow,if you
will.’’

‘’ok,little
man.’’ Phafnire Khonn said’’open the hatch.’’

Eric
Darkwater,pushed a green button on a small square,control panel and the door
openned with a large,clang.Harsh winds,cut into the two stawart heroes faces as
peered out into the storm.Below the mighty waves,heaved violently. Darkwater
and Phafnire Khonn,both began to dought this course action and looked each
other.

‘’You
sure about this ?’’ Phafnire Khonn

‘’No,by
Thrull.I’m not going to spend anytime in some Vhall Shakharr prison.I’ve heard
the strange,evil things they do there to prisoners.’’

‘’You
convinced me.’’Khonn commented.’’I’m jumping.’’

‘’Ok,ready,pal.On
the count of three.’’Darkwater stated.’’One...two...three.’’

‘’Geronimooooooooooooo.’’the
two said as leapped into the abyss.

The ships struck with a crash against the bearch that snapped her
gulh winged and navigational masts crashed against jungle tree the island beach
.The forward section of one ship hit and
shivered her prow like glass,as her
beak shot high in the air .The other ship,tumbled off in another
direction,pushing and plowing through a separate,but near by section of the
Great Jungle of the Vhall Shakharr.Two men tumbled like tenpins from her
slanted deck. A moment great air ship poised, shuddering like a great thing
alive, then slid from the hidden darkness of the jungle and stopped as a thing
dead, and went down in a blinding smother of spray.

Now Darkwater rose in the turmoil, fought the waves for a mad
moment, then caught a piece of wreckage that the breakers flung up. As he
clambered across this, a shape bumped against him and went down again. Captain
Eric Darkwater plunged his arm deep, caught a sword-belt and heaved the man up
and on his makeshift raft. For in that instant he had recognized the Vhaneirman, Phafnire Khonn , still burdened with the
armor he had not had time to remove. The man seemed dazed. He lay limp, limbs
trailing.Captain Eric Darkwater remembered that ride through the breaker as a
chaotic nightmare. The tide tore them through, plunging their frail craft into
the depths, then flinging them into the skies. There was naught to do but hold
on and trust to luck. And Captain Eric Darkwater held on, gripping the Vhaneirman
with one hand and their raft with the other, while it seemed his fingers would
crack with the strain. Again and again they were almost swamped; then by some
miracle they were through, riding in water comparatively calm and Captain Eric Darkwater
saw a lean fin cutting the surface a yard away. It swirled in and Captain Eric Darkwater
unslung his pistol as the Great Vhanirman beside did so as well.

Shark,Little ManPhafnire Khonn shoutted''I told you so.!''

''So you did,big man...... So you did''Darkwater retarned

''Darkwater..Eric.Watch them.Those two are circle us.''

''Not for long''the thuvian commented.

The two switched pistols,from standard energy rounds to electro
magnetic plasma balls,capible of piercing through water and hitting their
target.The macrocsopic sight targetted the sharks upper back fins and relayed
the data to both mens macroscopic visors,worn over their eyes.Holographic
crosshairs moved themselves along with various data port readouts,such body
heat,target violicty,target weight,and so on ,as a holograpgic representation
of the sea creature moved underwater.

Both pistols aimed ,spoke a few rounds and struck the water ,as a
great river of red rose again from watery depths. Red dyed the waters instantly
drew the sent of blood and a rush of sinuous shapes made their toward the other
sharks watery grave.

''Little Man,''Phafard ''That may buy us some time.

While the sharks tore their others in water, Captain Eric Darkwater
and great red haired companion, paddling with thier hands, urged the ashore
until they could feel the bottom.

''Little Man,we will not last out here to long.''Eric Darkwater
hear the great scarlet haired giant speak behind him.''The beach is our only chance.''

He used to hate when Phafard would call Little Man,as if was an
insult.Later on,Darkwater began understand it was the Vhaneir spoke of the
smaller human folk.Being many Vhaneirman had TyRhainean bloodlines in their
families,carried over their ancient dealing those giants from a few worldplates
over,the Vhaneir civilaztion saw everyone outside their kind as the Little
People;

Shark,Little Man’’Phafnire Khonn shoutted''I told you so.!''

''So you did,big man...... So you did''Darkwater retarned

''Darkwater..Eric.Watch them.Those two are circle us.''

''Not for long''the thuvian commented.

The two switched pistols,from standard energy rounds to electro magnetic
plasma balls,capible of piercing through water and hitting their target.The
macrocsopic sight targetted the sharks upper back fins and relayed the data to
both mens macroscopic visors,worn over their eyes.Holographic crosshairs moved
themselves along with various data port readouts,such body heat,target
violicty,target weight,and so on ,as a holograpgic representation of the sea
creature moved underwater.

Both pistols aimed ,spoke a few rounds and struck the water ,as a
great river of red rose again from watery depths. Red dyed the waters instantly
drew the sent of blood and a rush of sinuous shapes made their toward the other
sharks watery grave.

''Little Man,''Phafard ''That may buy us some time.

While the sharks tore their others in water, Captain Eric Darkwater
and great red haired companion, paddling with thier hands, urged the ashore
until they could feel the bottom.Darkwater waded to toward beach,with the Vhaneirman
behind him.Roamming toward the beach,Eric Darkwater,glimpses of some sort of watery
stake driven to and thro across the sea floor.Great metal.rusted hedgehoog
obsticles were scatted about-the type used many ancient wars across the
galswordy,to keep invaderseacraft from reaching the beach ahaead saefely.They
have used on land aswell to keep armored cavary devision from moving ahead or
blocking street of cities,during war.The Thuvian could see portions of a great
seawall,hidden by vast regions of

Ironwilled though he was, Captain Eric Darkwater sank down, exhausted and soon fell upon both
knees.The Thuvian shuggled again,but his arms and legs would not lift up the
torso .Darkwater spied dimply,at the Great Seawall,somewhere beyond the dense
jungle.Wreckage of other air travellers could be seen scattered all over the
beach-some new,junked within either a few months or even weeks.Others,were the
wreckage of years-maybe decades-rusted hulks of metal.Tristed,burned and
brocken shards of metal-left to rot abandonned by invaders crashed in heaps,now
overgrown by jungle folliage.The great ships,once aircraft
markings-redistration numbers and singles,scratched and worn-a carryover from
the ancient Pathfinders of the other temporal lanes,who adorned their ship,with
warpaint or warmarking,to symbolize clan alliance from one another or ship rank
among various star fleet,were now dirty scrawled star ship tatooing upon each
derrilick surfice.

Still,Darkwater could see minute scratchings as tools were used to
rework portions of the craft from one anothers,as if someone or a group of
somebody-possible star ship and air craft mechanics,were using the craft as
salvaged parts.Salvaging was common upon the Great Sphere,were high cost as
well human stupidity or engineering craft,as allowed to replicate new
parts.Some starship and airship mechanic prefered to either juryrig old parts
into new engines of powers or modify craft to suite their wills and wants or
their own or employers.

Captain Eric Darkwater had left the deck in a long dive that
carried him clear,tumbling him and the Vhaneir unto the dark waters,as the air
traveller slowly moved onto towards,it's gasp of duty.Both now were heapped
upon dusty beach ,smashed the sand below. The Thuvian tried to push himself by
his arm,but failled.Fatigued in the attempt,hans head began to swarm with a
maze of dizziness and nuasia in stomuck.Beside he could see the Great Vinear
trying to do the same and failling as much as he did.Eric Darkwater gave
in,falling backward.His head spun into darkness,as the Thuvian fell upon his
back.Captain Eric Darkwater looked up
upon the dawn of a new day.His head still spinning and mission,not even
started.He saw strange vulture like creatures circling above,waitting himself
and great Phafnir Khonn to die.Darkwater shoutted ''Thrull Khonn's blood-no and
sank down, exhausted and soon collapsed soundly.He thought,great his obituary
would read Captain Eric Darkwater.Thuvian Rangers.Warrior,Pilot,Patriot.Died on
some Jerkwater island of Mister Brick food poisoning.

Eric
Darkwater,dreamed of beautiful girls he had know and heroic men he had fought
before,But soon the dream transformed to tanned men and women,running their
high boats-great bamboo catamaranns,they called,launched huge iron like battle
ship,with towers and great,cillindrical guns.The warriors seemed to running
,amind artilliary fire from pillbox bunkers,in great wave after wave toward
this very beach,he lay upon.Some made upon the beach,as others failled and shot
to pieces.Some simply falling into the bloodly waves below,while hnng Thrull
Khonn like upon their own hedgehog crosses.

Others weirdly,enough,tried carry dismembered body parts with
safely to the beach ahead.Great hidden pillbox bunkers scattered about the
forrest jungle,blasted into the iron crosses scattered all over the
waves,killing more tanned soldiers,as charged out reat landing barged
behind.Some fired weaponds-rifles and pistols into the jungle ahead and others
hurled grenades into the jungles belong.Somewhere in the distance,Eric Darkwater
could mighty bombardments from the reat warships out at sea.

Behind was rows of iron hedgehog battlements,scattered all over
the waves,to keep the great ships back from the beach.The warriors were running
up to Great seawall,with looked some odd version of a bangalore torpedo
tubes-an explosive breaching device used take large portions of the
seawall.Eric Darkwater could explosion around him.He saw the same behind him
and infront of him.Great plumbs of dark smoke surrounded

Then great waves of dark smoke began to billow about him.In his
dreamlike minds eye,he could see great flying air ships hover above him.One
began to desend upon the area where he lay before him and then a great ram openned
from ships bow.Three shimmering figures all female,dressed in gleaming
white,stepted out or did they simply float out of the ship,The middle one
beautiful,yet Shaitanic with pointed ears and slanted eyebrows smile and
pointed a figire towards Eric Darkwater ,ablazed with shimmering,circling
electricity,moving like a blue white snake toward him and then the Thuvian
Ranger stirred out from his ebony dreamlike state.

ñ Things had not gone according to plan.I was alive.Nothing
broken.No injuries,just minor bruises.The imformation was gathered by The Karza
Medtech medical biorecorder,a small square box,worn upon a Thuvian Rangers
upper arm pocket of the right side.It was a small,data recorder and sensor
monitor,we used-another gift of those Atlantean friends,from beyond time and
space,to keep apprise ones medical conditions.

ñ

Captain Eric Darkwater did not sleep long and knew he alive,plus
thirsty. When he awoke the sun was just risen above the sea-rim.Those vulture
creatures circlly him were gone-if even they were ever at all. The Thuvian
rose, feeling as refreshed as if he had slept the whole night through, and
looked about him. He saw the remnants of the Great battle he had dreamed of.He
was glad it was a great,being that the Thuvian Highlander seemed helpless lying
upon this very beach amid some strange,ancient beachead invasion.The broad
white beach sloped gently from the water to a waving expanse of gigantic
trees,amid the ancient,stygean seawall. There seemed little underbrush,about
the great wall and much of the jungle had take back the areas about the
scattererings of defensive pillbox bunkers but so close together were the huge
boles, his sight could not pierce into the jungle.

Phafnire Khonn was standing
some distance away on a spit of sand that ran out into the sea. The huge Vhaneirman
leaned on his great sword and gazed out toward the reefs.

What dream ?''Darkwater respounded,ignoring the now strange buzzing
at the back of his skull.

'Well,I dreamt of an invasion not on this very beach.Hordes of
strange tanned warrior,stormming his Great Sea Wall.''the Vhanirman spoke as in
a fog

Captain Eric Darkwater could hardly hear his old friend,The
strange buzzing grew houlder and loulder.Here and there,the Thuvian saw on the
beach lay the stiff figures that had been washed ashore. A sudden snarl of
satisfaction broke from Captain Eric Darkwater's lips.Something inside told him
good.Their dead,now.Let them all die. Here at his very feet was a gift from the
gods; a dead Vhanirman lay there, fully armed in the helmet and mail shirt he
had not had time to doff when the ship foundered, Captain Eric Darkwater saw
they were his own among the dead.How so?None were abaord neither airship. Captain Eric Darkwater did pause to wonder
how all his was possible and one quick,answer spoke him from beyond.Somehow,you
were twicked.Darkwater knew the spy games Captain Kotharr Khonn and like could
pull off.His cynical nature was catching up him,removing his general mirth one
with deadly cunning and mistrust.

Why,Darkwater knew the time sorcerer Doctor Arenjun Sarkhon and
his Doomwatchers tricks to make things appear other than they were.The buzzing
in his head grew louder,until Eric Darkwater could hear a strange,earie
humming,siren light single beamming into his skull.What was,he thought?Oh
yes,Doomwatchers,Special Missions Operations-a special branch,where confidence
tricks,infiltration and advanced technology could carry out any impossible
mission required against an enemy target.Our side the Doomwatchers and so did
the other side.All this,plus the time Phafnire Khonn before.Some sort of
elaborate trick.Sort of huge deception,created who..The lords of darkness-the
Taurons,the Shaitanus ?Who ever,it didn't matter.Eric Darkwater was oing to
remove one of their dirty agents right here and now

Thus armed he went up the
beach toward Phafnire Khonn , his eyes
gleaming with bisserker rage.At first,he simply felt to withdraw his TyRhainean
electro magnetic plasma sling and pelt the big Vhanaheim giant,with a few empp
balls.But no,that would be sporting.Then maybe a hot through the head,with his
Paxton Ripper Plasma Colt Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta 11 pistol.No
again.Not sporting-not the Thuviana gentlemens way.No swords,it will be
equiles,although Phafnires great slimming silver blade was twice his
own.Still,Eric Darkwater had his cunning.His Thuvian Rangers training,plus a
few fighting tips gainning knowing the Time Sorcerer Arenjun Sarkhon.

Phafnire Khonn thought he saw three strange figures standing
somewhere atop the Great Sea Wall,thinking that they were hidden.He hought he
heard the middle,dark female imp say.’’No,my darlings.We Jinn don’t kill our
victums.We get them to kill each other.’’

“”Then maybe we can take over like that one you know ?’’The two
side Genies laughed,gingling like school maids.

Mike Millions”the formost Jinn laughed.’I got tired of his
bafoonery.No,darlings,this will do for now.The Great Prank begins.’’

Phafnire Khonn glaired,and then blinked,as a great flash openned
up and images of the three figures dissappeared into a great rainbow circle.The
Vhaneirman,macrovisor adjusted itself to the sudden flash of light and lost
sight of the images mommentarilly.The visors went dead,flickers and came back
on.

The Vhaneirman turned as he approached. "Hail to you
Thuvian,that we are still alive" he greeted. "We be all of Lodbrog's
ship-people left alive. The hungry green sea drank them all. By Thor, I owe my
life to you! What with the weight of mail, and the crack my skull got on the
rail, I had most certainly been food for the shark but for you. It all seems
like a dream now."

"A trick, Vhanirman " snarled Captain Eric Darkwater,drawing
his slim. "I don't how you did,but by Thrull Khonn's bones,nor I care, so
up with your sword and let us make an end."

Phafnire Khonn stared. "You wish to fight me?
Why--what--?"

"I hate your breed as I hate the house of Shaitanus!"
roared the Thuvian, a tinge of madness in his blazing eyes. "Your wolves
have ravaged my people for five hundred years! The smoking ruins of the
Southland, the seas of spilled blood call for vengeance! The screams of a
thousand ravished girls are ringing in my ears, night and day! Would that the
North had but a single breast for my sword to cleave!"

"But I am no Norseman," rumbled the giant in worriment.

"The more shame to you, renegade," raved the maddened
Thuvian. "Defend yourself lest I cut you down in cold blood!"

"This is not to my liking," protested Phafnire Khonn , lifting his mighty blade
graystorm, his gray eyes serious but unafraid. "Men speak truly who say
there is madness in you."

Words ceased as the men prepared to go into deadly action. The
Thuvian approached his foe, crouching panther-like, eyes ablaze. The Vhaneirman
waited the onslaught, feet braced wide apart, sword held high in both hands. It
was Captain Eric Darkwater's great sword and shield against Phafnire Khonn 's two-handed sword; in a
contest one stroke might end either way. Like two great jungle beasts they
played their deadly, wary game then--

Phafnire
Khonn then dropped his great blade upon the ground.The Vhaneir knew that is
island was bewitched.He knew what flow so called magic could be done those
Atlantean wizards and witches,whether for good or bad.He also knew about their
counterparts the Taurons and the Tykhon.They wizards of time and space,too.And
their was the Titans and great war machines the Gravis-Rho who detroy whole
worlds.And the Olympian Sirens,who bewitch a mans mind as did the Avalonean
Banshee Witches.

''Sorry,Little Fellow.''Phafnire Khonn''You are bewitched and do
not know what you are doing.''

Even as Captain Eric Darkwater's muscles tensed for the
death-leap.He was confused.The Great Buzzing grew calmer.The Thuvian wasn't so
sure of his actions as before.Before so Great Phanire Khonn simple gave his
smaller companion cloat on the jaw,knocking backward a bit.Bazzled and jaw
hurting,Eric Darkwater was no longer,under whatever spell had bewitched him.

''No,I only remember turning toward you;;Darkwater stated,holding
his jaw in right hand

you tried attack me.''

no,i didn't.why would do a thing like that.wait a
minute.Now,remember,as if a dream..running toward you screamming.

Exactly. You were bewitched by something on this island...maybe
beyond this great wall

You
even hear of the Olympian Sirens,who bewitch a mans mind as did the Avalonean
Banshee Witches.?

Yes,what
of it?

I
had a dream about them or something like them.

‘’So
did I’’Darkwater responded.’’But how ?

Fawl
Eldritch wizardry,my friend

I
know a wizard or two.’’the Thuvian Ranger added,refering to Arenjun Sarkhon and
his lovely wife.

Suddenly a fearful sound split the silence! Both men started and recoiled.
From the depths of the forest behind them rose a ghastly and inhuman scream.
Shrill, yet of great volume, it rose higher and higher until it ceased at the
highest pitch, like the triumph of a demon, like the cry of some grisly ogre
gloating over its human prey.

Captain Eric Darkwater shook his head. Even his iron nerve was
slightly shaken. "Some fiend of the forest. This is a strange land in a
strange sea. Mayhap Shaitan t himselves reigns here and it is the gate to
Hell."

Phafnire Khonn looked uncertain. He was more pagan than
some,weird Shaitanean worshipper,who dwelled in dark,stygian temples,below the
streets of Terra-Prime and their cohorts of allies,Zatikhhon agents,hollo
demons, and heathen devils. But they were none the less grim for that.

"Well,"
said he, "let us drop our quarrel until we see what it may be. Two blades
are better than one, whether for man or devil--"

Suddenly,the
two heard gun shots from somewhere beyond the jungle forrest.Eric Darkwater
could several men shoutting and the screams of several women.Native,he
thought.But what were doing ?Fighting other survivors,on some other part of the
beach beyond the dense jungle.Maybe.He wasn’t sure.

‘’Phaf.I think we have company.’’Darkwater spoke.”I think we.’’

A
wild shriek cut him short. This time it was a human voice, blood-chilling in
its horror and despair. Simultaneously came the swift patter of feet and the
lumbering rush of some heavy body among the trees.Whatever it was,the thing
sheached,as it tried plummet through the folliage. The warriors wheeled toward
the sound, and saw something whipping about the bushes..out of the deep shadows
three half-naked women came flying like a white leaf blown on the wind. The
first one’s loose hair streamed like a flame of gold behind her, her white
limbs flashed in the morning sun, her eyes blazed with frenzied terror. And
behind her¡ªa raven haired amazon and a dark,dark eyed polimeshian maiden.

Several others soon broke through the hign brush.Eric Darkwater
recognized the first instantly as Captain Micheals,followed by his First Mate
Jake Wilson.On their heels was several Vhainirmen,he knew was the remainder of
Phafnire Khonns crew.

Even Captain Eric Darkwater's hair stood up. The thing that
pursued the fleeing girl was neither man nor beast. In form it was like a bird,
but such a bird as the rest of the world had not seen for many an age. Some
twelve feet high it towered, and its evil head with the wicked red eyes .It had
a fan of colorful feathers about it’s head and at opposite head a feathered fan
tail,accompanied a row of extended spikes.Darkwater remembered seeing an
stuffed in a musceum back home,called Capronean Raptor or something.The
Caproneans called a devil bird,although shared more reptiles on the Capronean
homeworld.

Creatures
cruel curved beak was as big as a horse's head. The long arched neck was
thicker than a man's thigh and the huge taloned feet could have gripped the
fleeing woman as an eagle grips a sparrow.One single sickle shaped
claw,extended from it’s hindfeet,was used for clawing and slashing it’s prey.If
it was for deadly,Captain Eric Darkwater quicky,it might been consider
beautiful ,like some deadly form of prehistoric peacock bird.

Darkwater
withdrew his pistol and fired into the creature.The guns spoke it’s loud words
several times and round hit into the direction of the Great Devil Bird.They
glinted off a plasma shield general from a collar and harness worn around the
beast’s neck and torso.

‘’Ok.By Thrull Khonn’s Wisdom.Two can play it that way.’’Eric Darkwater’’Phaf,Follow
my leed.’’

‘’

The
Thuvian instintively tap his Thuvian Rangers combadge and commander it ‘’Ignite
right formarm plasma shield and armor me up’’.A bright,blue glow sprang from
with white guanletted hand to form a large three foot circular shield about
area.The rest of blue Thuvian Ranger Calverymen uniform,also immediately grew
into a kind of blue light armor,complete yellow and red stripes,as before,but
much larger,thicker.The action,seem to surprise as at the same draw the
creatures attention from the running girls toward him.

Phafnire
Khonn had already did the same with body armor.He quickly sprang toward the
oppisite side,His great sword draw.The mighty Vhanaheim warrior,also ordered
his blue white plasma shield up and extended his personal armor up.The creature
became confused as to enemy to attack and began to despirately peck toward each
opponent rapidly,as to guard both sides.Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn slash
swordarms into emply space,hoping to off balace the creature.The Thuvian could
help,instantly think an old holovid,by some off world Terran Ray
Harrhausen-based on a Julse Verne story,he saw as a child about a bunch of
escaped prisoners,who fight a giant chicken bird monster,much in the same
manner.

Captain Michaels shoutted ‘’The plasma shiels weakest

‘’OK,ace it’s you and me ‘’Darkwater yelled

This
much Captain Eric Darkwater saw in one glance as he sprang between the monster
and its prey who sank down with a cry on the beach.The Thuvian Ranger
instintive drew out his short sword and tried slashing it as with a knife. It
loomed above him like a mountain of death and the evil beak darted down,denting
Darkwaters plasma shield he raised,as arm to defend himself from the deadly
claws and staggering him with the impact.The short sword jabbed and a blue
spark flashed near the side of the creatures chest.The Thuvian Ranger saw the
weak point Captain Micheals spoke of.Behind Phafnire Khonnwas slashing into the
same area.Blue sparks leapped off the demon bird’s back region.

At the same instant Eric Darkwater
struck, but the keen sword sank through the shielding into a cushioning mass of
the creatures side.The Thuvian Warrior withdrew his sword and again thrust the
great blade into the chest area,this time damaging the Torso Plasma Shield
Harness.Again the beak flashed at him and his sidelong leap saved his life by a
hair's breadth.But as it did so,the blue white glow of the shield began to
faid.

And then Phafnire
Khonn ran in, and bracing his feet wide,
swung his great sword with both hands and all his strength. The mighty blade
sheared through one of the tree-like legs below the knee, and with an abhorrent
screech, the monster sank on its side, flapping its short heavy wings wildly.
Captain Eric Darkwater drove the back-spike of his sword between the glaring
red eyes and the gigantic bird kicked convulsively and lay still.

Those creatures,my dear’’Eric Darkwater asked’’They look like Dino
Rapters.Capronean Rapters I think.Shame to have kill it,but it was it or us.I
choose us everytime.’’

They
are.you’d might call them a form form of rapters.’’the woman said.’’those some
crossbreed,between TyRhainian Velociraptors ,Capropean Raptors and true
rapters,breed here by the inhabitants to guard this beach from intruders.

i
belieave true name dromeasaurids’’Phaphnir added’’but few outside
paleontologist use that term.

But at last all were exterminated on the main part of the isle and
on this side of the lagoon all died but this one, who had abided here for
centuries.

ñIn the old times hosts of men came against him,

ñ

ñ

ñ

ñ but he was greatest of all the devil-birds and
he slew all who fought him. So the priests made a god of him and left this part
of the island to him. None comes here except those brought as sacrifices--as I
was. He could not cross to the main island, because the lagoon swarms with
great sharks which would rend even him to pieces.

"Watch the forest lest another come forth," snapped
Captain Eric Darkwater, turning to the woman who had scrambled to her feet and
stood panting, eyes wide with wonder. She was a splendid young animal, tall,
clean-limbed, slim and shapely. Her only garment was a sheer bit of silk hung
carelessly about her hips. But though the scantiness of her dress suggested the
savage, her skin was snowy white, her loose hair of purest gold and her eyes
gray. Now she spoke hastily, stammeringly, in the tongue of the Norse, as if
she had not so spoken in years.

"You--who
are you men? When come you? What do you on the Isle of the Gods?"

"Not
mine!" snapped Captain Eric Darkwater, unable even in that moment to
forget his hate for the people of the North.

Aand until a few days ago, queen of this ancient kingdom."

Captain Eric Darkwater looked uncertainly at Phafnire Khonn . This
sounded like sorcery.He knew the O'Briens.He never heard of any Atillanta
O'brien.Ofcourse,O'Brien was a common Thuvia name.Perhaps,this girl was no
relation or perhaps,he did know all of Captain Colin O'Briens vast clan.He had
this on the previous mission,but she used another name-Alice Andress.Perhaps
that was cover name or perhaps this one was.The Thuvian wasn’t sure.

The
three girls looked curiously at the two. "The world must have changed
greatly since I left it," Brenda Thornson said, evidently in full control
of herself once more, "else how is it that wolf and wild bull hunt
together? By your black hair, you are a Thuvian, and you, big man, have a slur
in your speech that can be naught but Vhaneirman."

They are.We before,on that

"We are two outcasts," answered Captain Eric Darkwater.
The Thuvian felt it was better to lie,than tell the truth at this
momment"You see these dead men lining the strand?

''Yes.''Brenda Thornson.

‘’They were the crew of the great ship which bore us here,
storm-driven. This man, Phafnire Khonn , once of Wessex, was a swordsman and
captain on the one ship and I was a
captive.

I am Captain
Eric Darkwater

. Who are you and what land is this?"

"This is the
oldest island in the world of the Subatall Island," answered 'Brenda
Thornson.’’Thorubhall, Verjhapi, Havetoos, Andootall, Kapartall ,Amteera and
other great island regions were young,when this place was old,here and
among,it’s original world.’’

"Cathorea, Thuvia,
Cathay are as but infants beside it.’’

Aand until a few days ago, queen of this ancient kingdom."

Captain Eric Darkwater looked uncertainly at Phafnire Khonn . This
sounded like sorcery.He knew the O'Briens.He never heard of any Atillanta
O'brien.Ofcourse,O'Brien was a common Thuvia name.Perhaps,this girl was no
relation or perhaps,he did know all of Captain Colin O'Briens vast clan.He had
this on the previous mission,but she used another name-Alice Andress.Perhaps
that was cover name or perhaps this one was.The Thuvian wasn’t sure.

"After what we have just seen," rumbled the giant,
"I am ready to believe anything.

"

Perhaps,at one time.But there is an old Olympian saying.Whom the
gods plan to destroy,they first make crazy.stated Atilanta O'Brien.''And
gods-The Elder beings in the cosmos-others call the Great Lords of Light and
Darkness,deside to make Kheleka mad.''

''The very like.''Said Brenda Thornson''But was them working evil
local,time-wizards and their dark Djinns.who inhabit an unseen world in dimensions beyond the visible universe of humans. Together, the jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of God.

The Seraphean Khuran
Grimeires mentions that the jinn are made of a smokeless and "scorching
fire",Brenda
Thornson stated'' and they have
the physical property ofweight]

‘’Like human beings, the jinn can also be good, evil, or neutrally
benevolent ‘’Brenda Thornson contnue ‘’The social organization of the jinn
community resembles that of humans; e.g., they have kings, courts of law,
weddings, and mourning rituals

The ephemeral creatures both Eric Darkwater saw in their duel
dreams.Djinns were the oppisite of the Serapheans.Corrupted holo beings,created
eons by something only known as the Goddess or the legend goes.Djinns,were

Kawenakolina Lanakala

A women-Princess
Tiramania’’Atilantia O’Brien’’was said to bin kidnapped by the handsome [[[[
and taken,we were told by Doomwatchers.

You know this for sure?

For sure.Brenda Thornson added.Doomwatcher found with the Subatall
Island don’t make mistake and lie.

What my partner is trying say @urged is that,we were sent by your
Carson Jones’s friend Indianna Smith,behind his wishes to investigate if such
imformation is true.

Suddenly,a
tan skinned woman,who listen came for the bac.She had the look of a
goddess.Tall,beautiful,tan,with dark,cole black hair and blue,steely eyes.

Brent Thornsonn and Atilanta O’Brien steading in
the absence of its sane master¡ªmutanied instead."

We rebelled against nutball
kimo keleka,

She means we shot his security guards.

"And then kimo keleka vanished from the face of the earth--or
the sea!" interrupted Phafnire
Khonn . "He was in truth a madman. I sailed with him for a ship-harrying
many years ago when I was much younger.Atillanta here was with,like upon on one
those air travellers"

We became involved accidently,in some great battle between the
peoples of Vhall Shakharr and the Great Subatall nation.

"And his madness cast me on this island," answered
Brenda Thornsonn ; " had harried the shores of England, the fire in his
brain drove him out into unknown seas--south and south and ever south until
even the fierce wolves he led murmured.

Then a storm drove us on yonder reef, though at another part,
rending the air ship even as yours was rended last night. kimo keleka and all
his strong men perished in the waves, as far I could tell.

So who exactly dwells behind this great wall.

a strange terrible people dwelling here, tan-skinned folk who knew
many dark secrets of magic.

‘’The
Vhall Skakharr priests believe a devine
goddess that will come there island from an enemy nation.The ivory
goddess coming out of the sea, whom they
will worship.’’the princess spoke.’’No one,knows exactly,where this profency
comes from.Out of the past,perhaps.Out of somewhere beyond time and
space.Nobody knows.’’

Some believe,the profecy came those evil holo gods and holo
spirits that haunt the worlds of Terra-Prime.’’ Atilantia O’Brien said.’’If
anyone,it was they who plant such an idea,for ages among these people.

The
Vhall Skakharr priests .. their temple ancient gods haunted some say by evil
-jinns,and did reverence in the ancient times,long ago in another world,who
will make strong-plots against their enemies.’’

Eric Darkwater stood silent.Even his twenty some years,he sent a
few strange about the world of Pangea.White Capronean Ape men,used by Doctor
Julius Shakharr,on his strange,near by island.The White Preist of the Swirling
Vortex,who dressed all in ivony clothing,with extra tall tube,like hat,dancing
about in squares,at home in Lankmearia,hoping to gain devine enlightenment from
gods beyond temporal vortexes,by emulating the motion of wormholes.And the
Mimean Cult of the Elder Gods,in the same streets of home,98-who painted their
faces,black one side and white of the other,who wore a skintight
uniform,composed of the same black and colors possite the face makeup.The
Mimeans,danced in streets,raised arms,spoutted idiot jesters,with sparkling
fingers,cheap knock off cosmic power guanlets and idiot rymes,nobody got or nor
cared about the secrets of the universe.Still,those men.Strange men,but just
men.Jninns and holo gods,also might be just men,using other ultra tech trick to
preform miraculas feats of mystical preformance art.

Sure,they
say the Atlanteans learned cast electromagnetic forces,from the encounters with
the Galaxeans.They learned to cast flame and ice,from their encounters with
those electromagic based beings,sheifted in android bodies.And the Atlanteans
learned the so called mystical holographic arts from their encounters with the
Serapheans-angelic beings of mystery and light,few knew or saw,save the Elder
beings of the Universes.The Atlanteans knew many things,like looking into other
worlds,other times,into the realm of holospace and other times-tech tricks
learn the Serapheans and Sidairean Watchers,who guarded the goings on of the
other realities of the multiverse.The Atlanteans and their like,learned their
travels within the many of temporal space.They learned much from friends,as
well as their enemies-the Delkhon,the Taurons,the Tykhon and the
Acherhon.Tactics of wars.Tactics of defence and offense.Still,despite some thought,upon
this Great Sphere,were not gods and goddesses,by men,like himself-higher
advanced in society and technology,but still the same.

‘’And their high-priest,
old Gorthonn Kaluta--cursed be his name--taught learned many strange and
fearful things from the three Jinn.’ Princess Tiramania continued ‘’He gained
many ancient weapons of time and space.

And
but brother Prince King Skarr Kaluta desired a bride and the two planned to
plot against myself and poor Kuthorr Monau.Their King Angar Kalut,was mad .It
was he,that prolonged this stupid war with the Subatall Kingdoms.And it,his
sons,who well paid,their agent among the Subatall to spy on them and report
back.

And that spy,was Kuthorr
Monau’’Brenda Thronson added.’’He was sent to only spy upon by kidnapp the
princess here.’’

‘’Although one of his enemies race.’’Atilantia O’Brien
continued’’Kuthorr Monau’felt,this direction might ultimately leed to eventual
peace between the two island nations.’’

The women-here is that Princess Tiramania’’said
Atilantia O’Brien’’It is she,we were sent to protect and help,by those,who sent
you both.

Eric
Darkwater thought just Kothar Khonn,both father and son,to not trust along,on
this mission.Still,Atilantia O’Brien or whatever her real name to be sent,with
another woman to scout about before himself and the Big Vhanire came into look
about.Cunning bastard.Someday,the Thuvian wasn’t that Kotharr Khonn,Junior will
usurp a throne or high position of someday.After,all wasn’t the Kotharr
Khonn,some sort indirect bloodline to the Great Thrull Khonn,by way of a
long,lost Prince Kulleus Khonn of the Houseclan,lost among the wild lands and
worlds of Terra-Prime.He couldn’t take the Throne of Thuvia,but perhaps,such
could possible elsewhere-say the Maridean Kingdoms or such.

‘’So,Brenda
and Atilanta,how come you three found yourselves here upon this beach.’’the
scarlet haired asked,leening upon his great sword.

‘’We found the Princess here,abandonned by her people.’’Brenda
Thornson responded.’’Is that so ,Princess ?’’

She stopped for a moment, eyes blazing. Truly, she looked a worthy
daughter of the fierce race she claimed.

"Well,"
she continued, "there was one who loved Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta
--Kuthorr Monau, a young chief of the Subatall,who nidnapped me from my people.

We
travelled,by Captain Kimo Keleka’s air
traveller to a secret location on this island.It was then the events

But are you in truth
Brent Thornsonn,who signed aboard with
Captain Khimo Kheleka’s crew ?"

''But hear
Captain Khimo Kheleka was once a great military leader of the Subatall Navy.It
has said,’’Eric Darkwater went on’’he could do the impossible.Outthink his
enemy.Escape any trap.

‘’Once
maybe”Atillantia answered.’but Kheleka was old.He had done too much for kingdom
and country.Dare too much.’’

"And
then kimo keleka vanished from the face of the earth--or the sea!"
interrupted Phafnire Khonn . "He
was in truth a madman. I sailed with him for a ship-harrying many years ago
when I was much younger.

Atillanta
here was with,like upon on one those air travellers"

erhaps,at one time.But
there is an old Olympian saying.Whom the gods plan to destroy,they first make
crazy.stated Atilanta O'Brien.''And gods-The Elder beings in the cosmos-others
call the Great Lords of Light and Darkness,deside to make Kheleka mad.''

''The very like.''Said Brenda Thornson''But was them working evil
local,time-wizards and their dark Djinns.who inhabit an unseen world in dimensions beyond the visible universe of humans. Together, the jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of God.

‘’We
became involved accidently,in some great battle between the peoples of Vhall
Shakharr and the Great Subatall nation.We were supposed to become not involved
any wars.’’

‘’A
storm had come up,during the battle,making things more difficult.’Atillantia
O’Brien said’’The storm was also uncanny,as something commanded it come and aid
the Vhall Shakharr fleet.’’

Eric
Darkwater thought another strange accurence,he sent to investigate.The strange
storms about the Islands of Vhall
Shakharr.Did they have method of controlling the weather about the island?If so
how?We had heard,that the Atlanteans and other Elder races could control
weather,upon many worlds.

“”

"And
his madness he drove further toward this
island," answered Brenda Thornsonn ; " had harried the shores of
Vhall Shakharr , the madness in his brain drove him out into unknown seas¡ªinto
his ultimate doom.’’

“We were hit,in our engines’’Atillantia O’Brien said’’one of the
air ships of Vhall Shakharr

Then a storm
drove us on yonder reef, though at another part, rending the air ship even as
yours was rended last night. kimo keleka ordered his failing air ship,to
continue-even we urged him abandoned the ship.Captain kimo keleka’s pride would allow him to give
up,no matter the cost.The further we came closer to this island,the lower we
came to the sea.

We rebelled against nutball
kimo keleka,

She means we
shot his security guards.

Captain Kimo keleka and all his strong men perished in the waves,
as far I could tell.

"And then kimo keleka vanished from the face of the earth--or
the sea!" interrupted Phafnire
Khonn . "He was in truth a madman. I sailed with him for a ship-harrying
many years ago when I was much younger.

With him ,I Princess Princess Tameara
Kaluta plotted against the Vhall
Shakharr,to win final peace for their hated enemies the Subatall ,through
political cunning,as well battle.

and and flung off the yoke of old Gorthonn Kaluta mad King Angar
Kalut. That was a wild season of plot and counter-plot, intrigue, rebellion and
red carnage! Men and women died like flies and the streets of Vhall Shakharr
ran red--

but in the end we triumphed, Kuthorr Monau and I!

The dynasty of Angar Kaluta came to an end on a night of blood and
fury and I reigned supreme on the Isle of the Gods, queen and goddess!"

She had drawn herself up to her full height, her beautiful face
alight with fierce pride, her bosom heaving. Captain Eric Darkwater was at once
fascinated and repelled. He had seen rulers rise and fall, and between the
lines of
her brief narrative he read the bloodshed and carnage, the cruelty and the
treachery--sensing the basic ruthlessness of this girl-woman.

"But if you were queen," he asked, "how is it that
we find you hunted through the forests of your domain by this monster, like a
runaway serving wench?"

Atillanta bit her lip and an angry flush mounted to her cheeks.
"What is it that brings down every woman, whatever her station?

Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta thought for a momment,trying to
gather her words and choose the right ones to speak.I trusted a man¡ªKuthorr Monau,who strong,but
not wise in the ways deception.

Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta ,

my lover, with whom I shared my rule.

betrayed me; after I had raised him to the highest power in the
kingdom, next to my own, I found he secretly made love to another girl. I
killed them both!"

Captain Eric Darkwater smiled coldly: "You are a true
Atillanta! And then what?"

Well, Gorthonn Kaluta rose against me, as I had risen against him,
and the warriors rebelled, slaying those who stood faithful to me. Me they took
captive but dared not kill; for after all, I was a goddess, they believed. So
before dawn, fearing the people would change their minds again and restore me
to power, Gorthonn Kaluta had me taken to the lagoon which separates this part
of the island from the other. The priests rowed me across the lagoon and left
me, naked and helpless, to my fate."

"And that fate was--this?" Phafnire Khonn touched the huge carcass with his foot.

Atillanta shuddered. "Many ages ago there were many of these
island were seeded by various polineshian civilizations of various alternate
earth timelanes.Sent to preserve their water civizations on various parralle
earths.Their earths.their isle
civilasions were under seign by the Tauron Alliance, so legends say.The human
natives of the Subatall Island are a generally inhospitable lot, often trying
to murder other, kidnap his princess, or both.The '''culture of Subatall
Islands of Pangea''' has its origins in the traditional culture of the Native
Subatalleans.

The Subatall and Vhall Shakharr
civilations has become a home to many different ethnic groups in the last 200 years,
each has added elements of its own culture to local life,was true Darkwater
thought.His father,Admirel Darrick Darkwater once had much time,among the
Subatall Islands as a young man.He met Eric hans mother there.The Lady Erica
later the Lady Erica Darkwater.

Today, he once told his son as the Darkwater
family spent from three years among the island,before returning to the Thuvian
Highlands,that the contemporary culture of the Subatall/Vhall Shakharr are a
mix of the different cultures and ethnic groups that make up its unique
population. The two societies were all clean limbed people, with straight hair,
beardless and without body hair, roughly caucasian features and dark or dusky
skin. This seems to be the nature of people of Thorubhall, Verjhapi, Havetoos,
Andootall, Kapartall ,Amteera and other great island regions.The culture which
develops is uniform, but not necessarily united. After all, the Greeks and
Phoenicians were single cultures which were divided into a multitude of city
states.

The only differences were the
shape of nano tatoos. This seems to be the nature of people of Vhall Shakharr,
Verpoojah, Havetall, Kapartarr ,Amteta and other great island regions.The
culture which develops is uniform, but not necessarily united. After all, the ancient
Atlanteans and Taurons were single cultures which were divided into a multitude
of city states,upon the original Atlantean Homeworld.

The
island based nature of the Subatall and Vhall Shakharr civilization would make
it easy for political divisions and ‘Island states’ to form, compete and even
war with each other.They were listed whole hog from their original homeworld of
Terra 3.Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta 8,by Atlantean Arkships and santioned
by Sidairean Preserver Chartership ages ago and settled here.The ark,settled
here,in both places and still used as the engine base of both island group.

The
Sidaireans wanted preserve the last remnants of that Earth.Much of the larger
continents,had ravaged by invasions by the Taurons and their allies.The Taurons,the
Tykhon and Acherhon Empires needed slaves for their greater temporal
civisations.Somewhere required for forced labor and other apart of their local
military forces.The Taurons losing ground upon this world,then desided to set
their Tauron Sentries-Doomsday creatures,who based of Cyclopean Titans,use
would eradicate that landscape with their single eyed Plasma beam visors.Only
resistance was the local Time Stalker teams led by one Colonel Anthony James
Vincent and their Temporal Troops.

Frustrated,the
Tauron Allies,desided to use their deadly Nova Spheres to cause that Terran
world’s sun to prematurely go super nova.After a series of wars between
themserves and the Tauron Alliance,it desided that majority of terran refugees
be evauted to various locations upon Terra-Prime. Before the star system was
consumed by it’s own sun,Colonel Anthony James Vincent and his Time Stalker
Troops,transfered to the Subatall Island,during the transition from Earth 337 .

Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta 8 to
the Pangean South Sea.It is know he and his group stayed upon the Subatall
Island for time,using their New Genisis Bunker,as a base of operation.He wasn’t
first Time Stalker,to make his way through temporal corridors to
Terra-Prime,nor would he be the last.Time-Stalkers,as well as members of the
Legion of Time-Sorcerers,scurted the treaties of the Time Sorcerers Guild,and
it was amusingly absurd,how many do not believe or accept the Guild’s wishes to
have no outside time travellers upon Terran Prime soil.

The
Subatall culture was almost certainly not politically united at this stage.They
united some ages later,after nessessity force them to do so. They are
leapfrogging from Island to Island in different lines, and not colonizing from
a centrally directed Empire.The Vhall Shakharr,being the oppisite darker
version'from another timelane,corrupted by the Tauron Alliance. If you look at
both the Anlap plain and the northern hemisphere nations, we see that both
these areas refuse to believe in other lands. If there was a central early
Empire, this would be impossible. But if there are a multitude of competing
Island states, each founding its own colonies, which in turn found their
increasingly remote colonies, this becomes understandable.

''Each of the Island states refuses to
countenance any rival as greater than itself, in particular, it refuses to
countenance that it may have originated or been founded by a rival. ''Brenda
Thorson added ''Or that rivals are older. Instead, history is neatly obscured,
a continuing process, until you get colonies founded in extremely remote areas
which have no clue whatsoever about history. The Subatall and Vhall Shakharr
might acknowledge a common origin, but ‘cough cough’ have no idea which nation
was he original one.''

Of course, increasing travel brings the
Subatall and Vhall Shakharr people into contact with other non-human races, who
are living at primitive levels.''Phanire Khonn added,revealling that knew more
about the subject,than he added on.

The Subatall and Vhall Shakharr,I'm told
''Eric Darkwater also added,something language spreads rapidly among the
several central islands around main Super Island.The further island groups
become mixed other native islanders..

The Angan are incorporated into
Subatall and Vhall Shakharr society. The Nobargan and Monkey-Pygmies retain
their lifestyles and successfully defend themselves. The Myposans, Brokol and
Voo-Ad at the fringes of Subatall and Vhall Shakharr contact absorb and adopt
both Subatall and Vhall Shakharr language and culture.

Two to three thousand years ago, the Subatall and Vhall Shakharr
civilization is in its golden age, an age of Cities and City States, of
literacy and wealth, of exploration and discovery. This is the age of great
philosophers and philosophies, of mathematics and learning. It is the
equivalent of Earth's Phoenician, Greek and Renaissance Italy periods.

ñThe great islands of Vhall Shakharr began to
make raids upon the ship lanes of the people of Vhal-Sagoth,by using air
pirates as a deception..

ñ''Vhal Shagoth,being one of the Subatall
Islands more richer of the group.''Darkwater added.

ñ

ñ The government of Vhall Shakharr the merchant
airships by hundreds and

ñin time forces the Subatall Island to
retalliate.''Brenda Thornson commented.War began between both side

ñ But at last all were exterminated on the main
part of the isle and on this side of the lagoon all died but this one, who had
abided here for centuries.

ñIn the old times hosts of men came against him,

ñ

ñ

ñ

ñ but he was greatest of all the devil-birds and
he slew all who fought him. So the priests made a god of him and left this part
of the island to him. None comes here except those brought as sacrifices--as I
was. He could not cross to the main island, because the lagoon swarms with
great sharks which would rend even him to pieces.

"For a while I eluded him, stealing among the trees, but at
last he spied me out--and you know the rest. I owe my life to you. Now what
will you do with me?"

"I will tell you!" the girl cried in a ringing voice,
her eyes blazing anew to the swift working of her keen brain. "There is an
old legend among this people--that men of iron will come out of the sea and the
city of Vhall Shakharr will fall!

You, with your mail and helmets, will seem as iron men to these
folk who know nothing of armor! You have slain Groth-golka the bird-god--you
have come out of the sea as did I--the people will look on you as gods. Come
with me and aid me to win back my kingdom! You shall be my right-hand men and I
will heap honors on you! Fine garments, gorgeous palaces, fairest girls shall
be yours!"

Her promises slid from Captain Eric Darkwater's mind without
leaving an imprint, but the mad splendor of the proposal intrigued him.
Strongly he desired to look on this strange city of which Atillanta spoke, and
the thought of two warriors and one girl pitted against a whole nation for a
crown stirred the utmost depths of his knight-errant Thuvian Rangeric soul.

"It is well," said he. "And what of you, Phafnire Khonn ?"

"My belly is empty," growled the giant. "Lead me to
where there is food and I'll hew my way to it, through a horde of priests and
warriors."

"Lead us to this city!" said Captain Eric Darkwater to
Atillanta.

''Brenda Thorson knows the various secret entrences past the Great
Sea Walls of Vhall Shakharr.Secrets only the city dwellers think no one else
knows,but I have certain freinds-agents of the Doomwatch even in this dark
city,who wish to Baron Gorthonn Kaluta and Ska's rule overthrown

"Hail!" she cried flinging her white arms high in wild
exultation. "Now let Gorthonn Kaluta and Ska and Garft Kaluta tremble!
With ye at my side I'll win back the crown they tore from me, and this time
I'll not spare my enemy! I'll hurl old Gorthonn Kaluta from the highest
battlement, though the bellowing of his demons shake the very bowels of the
earth! And we shall see if the god Ghorr Ghothrah shall stand against the sword
that cut Groth-golka's leg from under him. Now hew the head from this carcass
that the people may know you have overcome the bird-god. Now follow me, for the
sun mounts the sky and I would sleep in my own palace tonight!"

The three passed into the shadows of the mighty forest. The
interlocking branches, hundreds of feet above their heads, made dim and strange
such sunlight as filtered through. No life was seen except for an occasional
gayly hued bird or a huge ape. These beasts,Brenda Thornsonn said, were
survivors of another age, harmless except when attacked. Presently the growth changed
somewhat, the trees thinned and became smaller and fruit of many kinds was seen
among the branches.Brenda Thornsonn told the warriors which to pluck and eat as
they walked along. Captain Eric Darkwater was quite satisfied with the fruit,
but Phafnire Khonn , though he ate
enormously, did so with scant relish. Fruit was light sustenance to a man used
to such solid stuff as formed his regular diet. Even among the gluttonous Air
Pirates of Admirel Tardos Sojat, the Vhaneirman's capacity for beef and ale was
admired.

Through
the trees the warriors caught a glimmer:of those spires among the great
jungle.Tall towers white and shimmery blue, and apparently far away. There was
an illusory impression of towering battlements, high in the air, with fleecy
clouds hovering about them. The sight woke strange dreams in the mystic deeps
of the Thuvian's soul, and even Phafnire
Khonn was silent as if he too were
struck by the pagan beauty and mystery of the scene.

Beyond,could seen a row of titanic towers of steel and blue
glass,mixed smaller,older lower buildings,scattered among city,but high enough
to be seen beyond the green foliage.Great air ships,were moored to many of
these towers and mighty skyscapters,while air travellerss move freely
about-slowly navigatting the huge sky canals of the great city.

So they progressed through the forest, now losing sight of the
distant city as treetops obstructed the view, now seeing it again..Before them
Captain Eric Darkwater and company came into a vast mash,surrounded by the
jungle.The mash spread as far as the eye could see,onto a distant forrest
jungle,that might have held the Great City of Vhall Shakharr.The princess stood
before the great mash and spoke..

''This is the Great Mash of Kulla Khiayai. ''Princess Tameara
Kaluta''I myself brought this too,to
Vhall Shakharr,years ago.Something my people among the Subatall Islands
have doing for ages.''

''Impressive.''Darkwater spoke

''But my dark husband Skarr Kaluta and awefell brother,left this
all in near neglect.''the princess added.''With it,my new people can
survive,without outside assistance.We raise cattle,sheep and creatures among
the other smaller islands beyond such as upon Havetall, Andootall, Kapartall
and Amteera islands.

The Vhall Shakharr folk working the field arround some sort of hydroponics
farms,made into a series of towers.Plant vines hung from a network of circular
tubing,held by metal struts.Many were old and showed bits of rust,at various
points.No nanites used to keep away rust.Either that or the nanos were slow
working,to remove the bits of rust.Strange smoke,issued for the,from the center
of each Hydroponic Tower,accompanied by a thundering rythemy of machery found
somewhere below..Kha-Thump!...Kha-Thump!.Kha-Thump!...Kha-Thump! It
sounded.Steam,Eric Darkwater thought,maybe pumped from some of the aquaduct
system,to feed the planets water and the stream might have kept insects away
aswell.

Darkwater,could see all
sorts of fruites Terran type oranges,Cathorean Apples,and Capronean aprocots
and beyond that vetchtables-Terran tomatoes of various alternate world
types,Cathorean Tomatoes,and Capronean Tomatoes-larger that the other two
types.The Thuvian wondered what was being grown elsewhere,beyond

The farmers either ignored the four warriors or assumed that were
city folk of far off lands,who defected from homelands to join the city,as some
refugees of other offten,but rarely did for reason or another.And at last they
came out on the low shelving banks of a broad blue lagoon and the full beauty
of the landscape burst upon their eyes. From the opposite shores the country
sloped upward in long gentle undulations which broke like great slow waves at
the foot of a range of blue hills a few miles away. These wide swells were
covered with deep grass and many groves of trees, while miles away on either
side of the great looming jungle forrest before and about them.The jungle there was seen curving away into the distance
the strip of thick forest.A strange network of roadways moved along them,many
sided by some sort of aquaduct pipe system,leading from the lagoon clusters.

'”These aquaducts are scattered all over this farming
area.''Atillanta said ''and they belted the whole island.,from various water
sourse,from the various lagoon cluster to greater resivores about the Vhall
Shakharr Island group. ''

''The city uses,them as you may guess,moves water about for
farming and other uses.''Brenda Thornson added.''Vhall Shakharr,is not a
primative civilization.-as some might think or was told.''

Even though,the main island and the capitol city,share the same
name,the civilization is one of the oldest upon Pangea.''Princess Tamearah
Kaluta spoke.''She has many wonders.She once was ranked as one of the Many
Wonders of the antient Pangean World.''''

Soon Eric Darkwater and his group,moved beyond theMalakuwai Jungle
and out among the the Balaquai Hills.'

Up ahead,Eric Darkwater saw some sort of motorized covered wagon
moving over the hills.The Thuvian and companions,quickly moved up upon the
vehicle.They made their way toward the surrounding hills and upon it,as other
traffic moved on by.Some was a huge,motorized wagon of titanic size,with
banbooh tree trunks,mage into a cage in the rear.Various pots and pans hung
from the side,tinging against each other,as the great van went.Wooden carts of
vechtables of the same variety,as seen before,were held inside the aft cage.The
driver,smoking some sort of weird,metal sheroot,that held sort of
cartridge,made from Black Lotuss leaves,among the Hooliquia Hills of the Havetall Island to west,sat in the driver
seat,signing some bezarre tune.

And as great van moved along,Eric Darkwater and companions saw
among those blue dreaming hills brooded the age-old city of Vhall Shakharr, its
white walls and sapphire towers clean-cut against the morning sky. The
suggestion of great distance had been an illusion.

Parts of
Vhall Shakharr resembled a the Great Subatall Cities of the past-ones such were
created upon the homeworld of these people.Great Ivory Towers,set upon
strange,stone hewed wall of great odd shapes of stone and steel.Some places
fitted with grand arched shaped flat columbs,that jutted out of walls,like
found Osirhon cities,while others found odd shape curved wall between the
spired towers.Many of the titanic buildings,could seen-as strange gothic
structures,that seem odd in contrast to ancient Vhall Shakharr archeture.

Each one of
sections was connected another and another,as far as the eye could see,until
much of the city wall dissappeared into the jungle distance.Gantries and
bridges surrounded much of these Great Walls,stretching over the grand rivers
surrounding city before them.The roadways,moved on and off the bridge before
them and beyond into the the Balaquai Hills and this
Malakuwai Jungle .Strange three wheeled cars and covered wagon like vans
moved about each bridge,similar to once used in the ancient times just after
the Creat Catacysmic Era.Eric Darkwater ,as he moved over one of the cities
many bridges,along the middle catwalk heard the talls of the Great post
Disaster Era hero Shawn MacKalaster,who travelled the lands of Pangea in such
contrastions.Several of these strange ground cars,roared along the two
roadways,each upon the bridge the Thuvian and friends were walking upon.One
road,moved traffic from the city of Vhall Shakharr and the other toward it.

Wooden
boats-catamarans moved up and down each motivated by form moter boat engine in
back.Some were of A few sail ships,moved also among these faster Paragravity
Shifts.Many moved,out from the grand peers and loading docks,that were set
before the various warehouses,along the river lanes.Above,could be seen,various
air ships and larger air travellers docked above or behind,in the many Docking
Pit Clusters,surrounded the areas.Darkwater,could see similar designs of air
craft,he was familiar with.Some he had pilotted as a young Thuvian Rangers and
others by his fathers or friends of his father years back.

Eric Darkwater look above and saw several air ships of various
shapes and sizes,moving overhead.Some where coming from the city,while others
were moving toward it.He could some had holographic commercial signs upon the
upper blimplike section of the craft.Whatever one could think of these Vhall
Shakharr,they had not build some little Ton Keki bamboo village and this,Darkwater
thought was no little Gillighan Island.

"Is that not a kingdom worth fighting for?" cried
Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta, her voice vibrant. "Swift now--let us
bind this dry wood together for a raft. We could not live an instant swimming
in that shark-haunted water."

At that instant a figure leaped up from the tall grass on the
other shore--a naked, brown-skinned man who stared for a moment, agape. Then
as Phafnire Khonn shouted and held up the grim head of
Groth-golka, the fellow gave a startled cry and raced away like an antelope.

"A slave Gorthonn Kaluta left to see if I tried to swim the
lagoon," said Atillanta with angry satisfaction. "Let him run to the
city and tell them--but let us make haste and cross the lagoon before Gorthonn
Kaluta can arrive and dispute our passage."

Captain Eric Darkwater and
Phafnire Khonn were already busy.
A number of dead trees lay about and these they stripped of their branches and
bound together with long vines. In a short time they had built a raft, crude
and clumsy, but capable of bearing them across the lagoon.Brenda Thornsonn gave
a frank sigh of relief when they stepped on the other shore.

"Let us go straight to the city," said she. "The
slave has reached it ere now and they will be watching us from the walls. A
bold course is our only one.

Thor's hammer, but I'd like
to see Gorthonn Kaluta's face when the slave tells him Atillanta is returning
with two strange warriors and the head of him to whom she was given as
sacrifice!"

"Why did you not kill Gorthonn Kaluta when you had the
power?" asked Phafnire Khonn .

She shook her head, her eyes clouding with something akin to fear:
"Easier said than done. Half the people hate Gorthonn Kaluta, half love
him, and all fear him. The most ancient men of the city say that he was old
when they were babes. The people believe him to be more god than priest, and I
myself have seen him do terrible and mysterious things, beyond the power of a
common man.

"Nay, when I was but a puppet in his hands, I came only to
the outer fringe of his mysteries, yet I have looked on sights that froze my
blood. I have seen strange shadows flit along the midnight walls, and groping
along black subterranean corridors in the dead of night I have heard unhallowed
sounds and have felt the presence of hideous beings. And once I heard the
grisly slavering bellowings of the nameless Things Gorthonn Kaluta has chained
deep in the bowels of the hills on which rests the city of Vhall
Shakharr."

Atillanta shuddered.''They say the city was originally built on a
network of catacolms,in the old world.These catacolms,now are set upon the
laborymthe of subterrain tunnles and compartments-just the olds used by many
Platedwellers,all over the Great Sphere.''

"There are many gods in Vhall Shakharr, but the greatest of
all is Ghorr Ghothrah, the god of darkness who sits forever in the Temple of
Shadows. ''

''And why is he the greatest ?Darkwater asked

''They say,he is one god,who is also five separate gods.And is a
god,who controls the very Dark Skies of Vhall Shakharr.''

When I overthrew the power of Gorthonn Kaluta, I forbade men to
worship Ghorr Ghothrah, and made the priest hail, as the one true
deity,Princess

Princess Tameara Kaluta, the daughter of the sea¡ªmyself.

I had strong men take heavy
hammers and smite the image of Ghorr Ghothrah, but their blows only shattered
the hammers and gave strange hurts to the men who wielded them. Ghorr Ghothrah
was indestructible and showed no marks. So I desisted and shut the door of the
Temple of Shadows which were opened only when I was overthrown and Gorthonn
Kaluta, who had been skulking in the secret places of the city, came again into
his own. Then Ghorr Ghothrah reigned again in his full terror and the idols of
Princess

Princess Tameara Kaluta were overthrown in the Temple of the Sea,
and the priests of Princess Tameara
Kaluta died howling on the red-stained altar before the black god. But now we
shall see!"

"Surely you are a very
Princess Tameara Kaluta ,"
muttered Phafnire Khonn . "But
three against a nation is great odds--especially such a people as this, who
must assuredly be all witches and sorcerers."

"Bah!"
cried Atillanta contemptuously. "There are many sorcerers, it is true, but
though the people are strange to us, they are mere fools in their own way, as
are all nations. When Gorthonn Kaluta led me captive down the streets they spat
on me. Now watch them turn on Skarr Kaluta, Professor Gorthonn Kaluta has given
them, when it seems my star rises again! But now we approach the city gates--be
bold but wary!"

The Gates of Vhall Shakharr,

,

They had ascended the long swelling slopes and were not far from
the walls which rose immensely upward. Surely, thought Captain Eric Darkwater,
heathen gods built this city. The walls seemed of marble and with their fretted
battlements and slim watch-towers, dwarfed the memory of such cities as
Carthoria, New Damascus, and New Markalley. A broad white winding road led up
from the lower levels to the plateau before the gates and as they came up this
road, the three adventurers felt hundreds of hidden eyes fixed on them with
fierce intensity. The walls seemed deserted; it might have been a dead city.
But the impact of those staring eyes was felt.

Now they stood before the massive gates, which to the amazed eyes
of the warriors seemed to be of chased silver.

"Here is an emperor's ransom!" muttered Phafnire Khonn , eyes ablaze. "Thor's
blood, if we had but a stout band of reavers and a ship to carry away the
plunder!"

"Smite on the gate and then step back, lest something fall
upon you," said Atillanta, and the thunder of Captain Eric Darkwater's
sword on the portals woke the echoes in the sleeping hills.

The
three then fell back a few paces and suddenly the mighty gates swung inward and
a strange concourse of people stood revealed. The two white warriors looked on
a pageant of barbaric grandeur. A throng of tall, slim, brown-skinned men stood
along the gates,watching everyone who entered into the city. Their only
garments were loincloths of silk, the fine work of which contrasted strangely
with the near-nudity of the wearers. Tall waving plumes of many colors decked
their heads, and armlets and leglets of gold and silver, crusted with gleaming
gems, completed their ornamentation. Armor they wore none, but each carried a
light shield on his left arm, made of hard wood, highly polished, and braced
with silver. Their weapons were slim-bladed spears, light hatchets and slender
daggers, all bladed with fine steel. Evidently these warriors depended more on
speed and skill than on brute force.

Captain
Eric Darkwater looked about as they entered into a broad market district of the
city.It was a vast mall,with builsings on both sides and a long,strip of
smaller market carts,cutting down the center of the avenue.People were
jabbering about this and that,about whatever they wished to purchise.The
Thuvian Ranger noticed an Apollo’s Cafe situated upon the left courner of the
first city block and wished their was time for a couple cups of coffee for
everyone.Next was a Mister Brick’s Family Restuarant.A happy picture of Mister
Brick,weaving hello,was pasted upon the right side the window,saying ‘’Hi
ho.Some mighty Good eatin’inside,folks.Darkwater groawned,still thinking of the
terrible meal,he had curticy of his hated nemisis,a small cartoon brick,with
smile face and pile stem thing arms and legs.

At
the front of this band stood three men who instantly commanded attention. One
was a lean hawk-faced warrior, almost as tall as Phafnire Khonn , who wore about his neck a
great golden chain from which was suspended a curious symbol in jade. One of
the other men was young, evil-eyed; an impressive riot of colors in the mantle
of parrot-feathers which swung from his shoulders. The third man had nothing to
set him apart from the rest save his own strange personality. He wore no mantle,
bore no weapons. His only garment was a plain loincloth. He was very old; he
alone of all the throng was bearded, and his beard was as white as the long
hair which fell about his shoulders. He was very tall and very lean, and his
great dark eyes blazed as from a hidden fire.

Captain Eric Darkwater knew without being told that this man was
Gorthonn Kaluta, priest of the Black God. The ancient exuded a very aura of age
and mystery. His great eyes were like windows of some forgotten temple, behind
which passed like ghosts his dark and terrible thoughts. Captain Eric Darkwater
sensed that Gorthonn Kaluta had delved too deep in forbidden secrets to remain
altogether human. He had passed through doors that had cut him off from the
dreams, desires and emotions of ordinary mortals. Looking into those unwinking
orbs Captain Eric Darkwater felt his skin crawl, as if he had looked into the
eyes of a great serpent.

Now a glance upward showed that the walls were thronged with
silent dark-eyed folk. The stage was set; all was in readiness for the swift,
red drama. Captain Eric Darkwater felt his pulse quicken with fierce
exhilaration and Phafnire Khonn 's eyes
began to glow with ferocious light.

Atillanta stepped forward boldly, head high, her splendid figure
vibrant. The white warriors naturally could not understand what passed between
her and the others, except as they read from gestures and expressions, but
later Atillanta narrated the conversation almost word for word.

"Well, people of Vhall Shakharr," said she, spacing her
words slowly, "what words have you for your goddess whom you mocked and
reviled?"

"What will you have, false one?" exclaimed the tall man,
Skarr Kaluta , the king set up by Gorthonn Kaluta. "You who mocked at the
customs of our ancestors, defied the laws of Vhall Shakharr, which are older than
the world, murdered your lover and defiled the shrine of Ghorr Ghothrah? You
were doomed by law, king and god and placed in the grim forest beyond the
lagoon--"

"And
I, who am likewise a goddess and greater than any god," answered Atillanta
mockingly, "am returned from the realm of horror ,and survived the period
you,by law set before me."

‘’That
is true,my lord king.’’ Gorthonn Kaluta uttered’’She survived the one month,you
gave outside the city gates.’’

‘’Yes,but
I’d hoped she die or atleast run off into exile.’’the prince spat.

“You
know our laws.Her death might bring complication to your rule.’’Gorthonn Kaluta
added.’’And even you could go beyond the law and retain your kingship for
long.’’

“Bah.Rules.Laws.’’
Skarr Kaluta stated with contempt’’They are for the common folk,not such as
I.’’

“My
dear brother,you will be one of the common folk,if you don’t atleast pretend to
follow them in public.’’Gorthonn Kaluta urged

‘’You
dare inferr that my rule could toppled because this wench?’’Skarr Kaluta

‘’I
say,let appear as if your are generous.You have pardonned her for past crimes
and allowed her entry back into the city.The public will see you as an
ignanimous ruler.’’Gorthonn Kaluta continued‘’Better toward you,than her.’’

‘’And
let her run about the city again,dear old brother?’’Skarr Kaluta

Eric
Darkwater saw Skarr Kaluta whisper something to his personal guards and they
hurried off him the two dark brothers,into a wide hallway beyond the arena.The
Thuvian Ranger wondered what trickery,Prince Skarr Kaluta and brother
Doctor Gorthonn Kaluta had up their
shelves.Well.beter to worry about that later when it comes.If it comes at
all.After Lord Thrull Khonn taught to prepare for ones battles,but also fight
them as they came and not before hand.

‘’Dear
wife,shows us all the proof,that you triumphed over the beast beyond the city.

At
a word from her, Phafnire Khonn held up the great beaked head, and a low
whispering ran about the battlements, tense with fear and bewilderment.Someone above
shoutted ‘’The princess-our former Queen..she has successed the trial and
triumphed our the beast in the jungle beyond.’’

“She
must allowed her return’’another screamed somewhere above.

‘’Or
down with current monarchy’’

A great corrus of shouts and demains erroched throughout the
arena.It grew and grew into a loud,almost dethening

"Who are these men,and two with them?" Prince Skarr
Kaluta bent a worried frown on the two warriors.

"They are iron men who have come out of the sea!"
answered Princess Tameara Kaluta in a
clear voice that carried far; "the beings who have come in response to the
old prophesy, to overthrow the city of Vhall Shakharr, whose people are
traitors and whose priests are false!"

At these words the fearful murmur broke out afresh all up and down
the line of the walls, till Gorthonn Kaluta lifted his vulture-head and the
people fell silent and shrank before the icy stare of his terrible eyes.

Captain Eric Darkwater, looking closely at Gorthonn Kaluta,
believed that he read beneath the inscrutable mask of the old priest's face.
For all his inhuman wisdom, Gorthonn Kaluta had his limitations. This sudden
return of one he thought well disposed of, and the appearance of the
white-skinned giants and amazon warriors
accompanying her, had caught Gorthonn Kaluta off his guard, Captain Eric
Darkwater believed, rightly. There had been no time to properly prepare for
their reception. The people had already begun to murmur in the streets against
the severity of Prince King Skarr Kaluta's
brief rule.

They had always believed in Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta
divinity; now that she returned with two tall men of her own hue, bearing the
grim trophy that marked the conquest of another of their gods, the people were
wavering. Any small thing might turn the tide either way.

"People of Vhall Shakharr!" shouted Princess Princess
Tameara Kaluta suddenly, springing back and flinging her arms high, gazing full
into the faces that looked down at her. "I bid you avert your doom before
it is too late! You cast me out and spat on me; you turned to darker gods than
I! Yet all this will I forgive if you return and do obeisance to me! Once you
reviled me--you called me bloody and cruel! True, I was a hard mistress--but
has Skarr Kaluta been an easy master? You said I lashed the people with whips
of rawhide--has Prince Skarr Kaluta stroked you with parrot feathers?

"A virgin died on my altar at the full tide of each moon--but
youths and maidens die at the wswording and the waning, the rising and the setting
of each moon, before Ghorr Ghothrah, on whose altar a fresh human heart forever
throbs!

Prince King Skarr Kaluta is but a shadow! Your real lord
is Gorthonn Kaluta, who sits above the city like a vulture! Once you were a
mighty people; your galleys filled the seas. Now you are a remnant and that is
dwindling fast! Fools! You will all die on the altar of Ghorr Ghothrah

Doctor Gorthonn Kaluta is done and he will stalk alone among the
silent ruins of Vhall Shakharr!

"Look at him!" her voice rose to a scream as she lashed
herself to an inspired frenzy, and even Captain Eric Darkwater, to whom the
words were meaningless, shivered. "Look at him where he stands there like
an evil spirit out of the past! He is not even human! I tell you, he is a foul
ghost, whose beard is dabbled with the blood of a million butcheries--an
incarnate fiend out of the mist of the ages come to destroy the people of Vhall
Shakharr!

"Choose now! Rise up against the ancient devil and his
blasphemous gods, receive your rightful queen and deity again and you shall
regain some of your former greatness. Refuse, and the ancient prophesy shall be
fulfilled and the sun will set on the silent and crumbled ruins of Vhall
Shakharr!"

Fired by her dynamic words, a young warrior with the insignia of a
chief sprang to the parapet and shouted: "Hail to the Princess !.Princess
Tameara Kaluta! Down with the bloody gods!"

Among the multitude many took up the shout and steel clashed as a
score of fights started. The crowd on the battlements and in the streets surged
and eddied, while Prince Skarr Kaluta glared, bewildered.

Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta, forcing back her companions who
quivered with eagerness for action of some kind, shouted: "Hold! Let no
man strike a blow yet! People of Vhall Shakharr, it has been a tradition since
the beginning of time that a king must fight for his crown! Prince King Skarr
Kaluta .my husband cross steel with one of these warriors,I choose! If Prince
Skarr Kaluta wins, I will kneel before him and let him strike off my head! But
if Princess Skarr Kaluta loses, then you shall accept me as your rightful queen
and goddess!He and brother must leave...sent into exile just they once did
me"

A great roar of approval went up from the walls as the people
ceased their brawls, glad enough to shift the responsibility to their rulers.

"Will you fight, Skarr Kaluta?" asked Princess Princess
Tameara Kaluta, turning to the king mockingly. "Or will you give me your
head without further argument?"

"Slut!" howled Prince Skarr Kaluta, driven to madness.
"I will take the skulls of these fools for drinking cups, and then I will
rend you between two bent trees!"

Gorthonn Kaluta laid a hand on his arm and whispered in his ear,
but Skarr Kaluta had reached the point where he was deaf to all but his fury.
His achieved ambition, he had found, had faded to the mere part of a puppet
dancing on Gorthonn Kaluta's string; now even the hollow bauble of his kingship
was slipping from him and this wench mocked him to his face before his people.
Skarr Kaluta went, to all practical effects, stark mad.

Atillanta turned to her two allies. "One of you must fight
Skarr Kaluta."

"Let me be the one!" urged Captain Eric Darkwater, eyes
dancing with eager battle-lust. "He has the look of a man quick as a
wildcat, and Phafnire Khonn , while a
very bull for strength, is a thought slow for such work--"

Darkwater eyed a row of dark,cobalt blue armored warriors.Their
heads were twine blue horns,long matching the same color as their armor.Their
eyes dark,eye sockets,colored over with transpisteel lences-possibly some
Macrocsopic lences,like manufactured by Sarkhon Enterprises or Shaitanus
Industries-neather way was he sure.Their mouths,covered over,with wide,scarlet
bandana,as worn by the Texans of the far Northern Amerhann
Continent.Another,scarlet clothe covered,the cold,blue warriors covers,wide and
covering the upper part of the chest.They Eric Darkwater thought,resemble the
old Imperial Delkhonean Armored,once worn those coolly,logical,armored warriors
ages ago-when he wasn’t quite sure.

Hey,big buddy,’’Darkwater whispered over to his large scarlet
haired friend.’’See the row of Darth Vader imatators?’’

Yes,I was trying avoid them and their notice.’’ Phafnire Khonn
coolly stated.

I believe their partially a Kalladon cult,who followed one Delkhon
Khon,ages ago and settled several planet outside the interstellar regions of
the Old Terran Federation.’’Darkwater imformed his big giant friend.

‘’But little man,how would they get here?

Imperial Delkhon have been known to settle colonies here on
Terra-Prime-several I think,at various known locations.

Perhaps.but there is something queer about these one.

Queers right and as one might think.’’Brenda Thornson added’’They
stand still like statues.

You guys,even here of the so called lifeless Knights of Darkwater
Karza?Attanta O’Brien interupted.

Yeah,Karza was an exiled Time Sorcerer-about the time of Lord
Thrull Khonn.He sided with Carthorean Empire.’’

Well,Baron Darkwater Karza,had himself an army of Imperial Delkhon
warriors,to defend his castle and lands.But he could not trust the Delkhon to
work him,but he could trust an army of series T,500 Andronikhann star
warriors,he captured from one of raid upon a New Genisis Bunker,somewhere with
the Great Sphere.

But Andronikhanns are near mindless,slaver,Space Pirates,that rove
in huge ship,scalvaging technology and junk across interstellar space,’’Darkwater
interupted.’’Howed they get here?’’

‘’Like anything upon Terra-Prime,it either brought here by design
or accidently fell here.The Andronikhanns fell here.A great fleet of
ships,damaged by cosmic storms and plowed through the Great Sargasso Sea
wrift-through a stargate and onward here,somewhere on Terra-Prime.

You seem to allot about the subject,my dear.’’Darkwater said

‘’The Legion of Time-Sorcerers and the legends surrounding them
were a hobbie as a young girl.

Some hobby

In any event,the Pangeans called these Andronikhanns animated Imperial Delkhon
because,although perhaps,inappropriate stood like lifeless knights,when not in
battle.Even they movements then,in combat where those of non
living,Jerky,slow-almost mecganical.’’

So,you think those guys might these knights.’’

"Slow!" broke in
Phafnire Khonn reproachfully.
"Why, Captain Eric Darkwater, for a man my weight¡ªand myself could take
two or three of those metallic devils"

"Enough,Khonn"Brenda Thornsonn interrupted. ‘’We see
this as it is.

must choose for himself."

She spoke to Skarr Kaluta ,
who glared red-eyed for an instant, then indicated Phafnire Khonn , who grinned joyfully, cast
aside the bird's head and unslung his sword. Captain Eric Darkwater swore and
stepped back. The king had decided that he would have a better chance against
this huge buffalo of a man who looked slow, than against the black-haired
tigerish warrior, whose cat-like quickness was evident.

‘’Don’t worry,big buy.We can handle the rest.’’

‘’I can handle all ,Little Man,but yes,I hear you.I hear you.Ok.we
do it your way for now!’’

"This Skarr Kaluta is without armor," rumbled the Vhaneirman.
"Let me likewise doff my mail and helmet so that we fight on equal
terms--"

"No!" cried
Princess Tameara Kaluta. "Your armor is your only chance! I tell
you, this false king fights like the play of summer lightning! You will be hard
put to hold your own as it is. Keep on your armor, I say!"

Besides.I know him.My husband has many tricks than deceive
someone.

"Well, well,ok..if you say so." grumbled Phafnire Khonn , "I will--I will,do as
you say. Though I say it is scarcely fair. But let him come on and make an end
of it."

The huge Vhaneirman strode ponderously toward his foe, who warily
crouched and circled away. Phafnire
Khonn held his great sword in both hands
before him, pointed upward, the hilt somewhat below the level of his chin, in
position to strike a blow to right or left, or to parry a sudden attack.

Skarr Kaluta had flung away his light shield, his fighting-sense
telling him that it would be useless before the stroke of that heavy blade. In
his right hand he held his slim spear as a man holds a throwing-dart, in his
left a light, keen-edged hatchet. He meant to make a fast, shifty fight of it,
and his tactics were good. But Skarr Kaluta, having never encountered armor
before, made his fatal mistake in supposing it to be apparel or ornament
through which his weapons would pierce.

Now he sprang in, thrusting at
Phafnire Khonn 's face with his spear. The Vhaneirman parried with ease
and instantly cut tremendously at Skarr Kaluta 's legs. The king bounded high,
clearing the whistling blade, and in midair he hacked down at Phafnire Khonn 's bent head. The light
hatchet shivered to bits on the Vhanirman's helmet and Skarr Kaluta sprang back
out of reach with a blood-lusting howl.

“”My cold,life warriors-attatch the intruders...now!’’ Gorthonn
Kaluta shouted and pointed into the direction of Captain Eric Darkwater and two
women

And now it was Phafnire
Khonn who rushed with unexpected
quickness, like a charging bull, and before that terrible onslaught Skarr
Kaluta, bewildered by the breaking of his hatchet, was caught off his
guard--flat-footed. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the giant looming over him
like an overwhelming wave and he sprang in, instead of out, stabbing ferociously.
That mistake was his last. The thrusting spear glanced harmlessly from the Vhaneirman's
mail, and in that instant the great sword sang down in a stroke the king could
not evade. The force of that stroke tossed him as a man is tossed by a plunging
bull.

A dozen feet away fell
Skarr Kaluta, king of Vhall Shakharr, his great shield, lied shattered and his
kingship dead in a ghastly welter of blood ran down his right shoulder blade.
The throng gaped, struck silent by the prowess of that deed.

"Finish them,Cut off their heads!" cried Princess
Princess Tameara Kaluta,screamed-pointing toward the two Vhall Shakharrans. her
eyes flaming as she clenched her hands so that the nails bit into her palms.
"Impale that carrion's head on your sword-point so that we may carry it
through the city gates with us as token of victory!"

But Phafnire Khonn shook his head, cleansing his blade:
"Nay, he was a brave man and I will not mutilate his corpse. It is no
great feat I have done, for he was naked and I full-armed. Else it is in my
mind, the brawl had gone differently."

“”My cold,life warriors-attatch the intruders...now!’’ Gorthonn
Kaluta shouted and pointed into the direction of Captain Eric Darkwater,
Phafnire Khonn and two women.The Thuvian Ranger and his companions withdrew
swords and pistols,ready for anything.

Skarr Kaluta And Gorthonn
Kaluta stepped aside,as four Imperial Delkhon Lifeless Knights stepped forward
slowly...one step and then the other,moving in a jerky robotic manner.They
knights repeted this motion,but a bit more quickly.Again and again they
advanced across the great stone bridge. Princess Tiramania looked on in
horror,knowing she seen months ago,these same warriors totally massacre her
Royal Guards totally to the last man and woman,who served under her.Captain Darkwater,simply
smilled and remembred an old Terran holo movie-one called Captain Eric Darkwater and the Agronautes confronted an army of
sketon warriors in much the same way.

Suddenly,as
four of the Armored creatures approached the foot of the bridge.Captain Eric Darkwater and his stalwart companions stand
ready to take them on.The lifelesss knights of
Gorthonn Kaluta,approach and then one unimanimous motion,each warriors
thrust their right arms downward and outward.The Thuvian paries his sword along
with the four others to defend those horrific motions.The foremost armored
warrior swings his swordarm toward Darkwater and the ranger ducks down,and
evades the sword swing.The lifeless Imperial Delkhonean Warrior,attempts to
swing his sword arm again and again.

The
8 foot lifelesss blue knights of
Gorthonn Kaluta seemed only mimick the motions of warriors,as they
metallic armored puppets,operated by some unseen puppeteer.The warriors,fierce
and deadly,seem not to have minds of their own.It seemed the Andronikhanns
inside the armor,could move quickly on their own.They seemed slow to engage in
independent actions of the three others.A few seemed to move slowly on their
own,even though their reaction time was twice as fast as the average human
beings..

Behind,the armored warrior also confronts Phafnire Khonn with a
same type of maneuver.The Vhanirman,too busy seems not to notice that the two
Delkhon Warriors are basically mimicking each other.Behind,unknown to the two
warriors,Brenda Thornson and Atillanta O'Brien were also defending off the two
lifeless knights in the same manor.

One Delkhon warrior pointed his left gaunletted hand and fired a
burste of flame out from the fore finger.Atillanta O'Breins plasma shield
cought it and the heat waves harmlessly moved about her form.Another used his
stuudded knuckles,against Phafnire
Khonn's own plasma shield and it pounded useless upon it,as electrical sparks
issued from the impact area.

The skeleton faced cobult blue Delkhon warriors,give Captain Eric Darkwater and crew,one hell of a battle,all over the
ruins of the city,near pushing them toward the open pit at the center of the
arena. When his two companions are slain, Captain Eric Darkwater jumps off a cliff, "drowning" the
skeletons, and escapes to the ship; whereafter he,

Captain Eric Darkwater glanced at the people on the walls. They
had recovered from their astonishment and now a vast roar went up:
"Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta ! Hail to the true goddess!" And
the warriors in the gateway dropped to their knees and bowed their foreheads in
the dust before Atillanta, who stood proudly erect, bosom heaving with fierce
triumph. Truly, thought Captain Eric Darkwater, she is more than a queen--she
is a shield woman, a Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta , as Phafnire Khonn said.

Now she stepped aside and tearing the golden chain with its jade
symbol from the dead neck of Skarr Kaluta, held it on high and shouted:
"People of Vhall Shakharr, you have seen how your false king died before
this golden-bearded giant, who being of iron, shows no single cut! Choose
now--do you receive me of your own free will?"

"Aye, we do!" the multitude answered in a great shout.
"Return to your people, oh mighty and all-powerful queen!"

Atillanta smiled sardonically. "Come," said she to the
warriors; "they are lashing themselves into a very frenzy of love and
loyalty, having already forgotten their treachery. The memory of the mob is
short!"

Aye, thought Captain Eric Darkwater, as at Atillanta's side he and
the Vhaneirman passed through the mighty gates between files of prostrate
chieftains; aye, the memory of the mob is very short. But a few days have
passed since they were yelling as wildly for Skarr Kaluta the liberator--scant
hours had passed since Skarr Kaluta sat enthroned, master of life and death,
and the people bowed before his feet. Now--Captain Eric Darkwater glanced at
the mangled corpse which lay deserted and forgotten before the silver gates.
The shadow of a circling vulture fell across it. The clamor of the multitude
filled Captain Eric Darkwater's ears and he smiled a bitter smile.

The great gates closed behind the three adventurers and Captain
Eric Darkwater saw a broad white street stretching away in front of him. Other
lesser streets radiated from this one. The two warriors caught a jumbled and
chaotic impression of great white stone buildings shouldering each other; of
sky-lifting towers and broad stair-fronted palaces. Captain Eric Darkwater knew
there must be an ordered system by which the city was laid out, but to him all
seemed a waste of stone and metal and polished wood, without rhyme or reason.
His baffled eyes sought the street again.

Far up the street extended a mass of humanity, from which rose a
rhythmic thunder of sound. Thousands of naked, gayly plumed men and women knelt
there, bending forward to touch the marble flags with their foreheads, then
swaying back with an upward flinging of their arms, all moving in perfect
unison like the bending and rising of tall grass before the wind. And in time
to their bowing they lifted a monotoned chant that sank and swelled in a frenzy
of ecstasy. So her wayward people welcomed back the goddess Princess Tameara
Kaluta.

Princess Tameara Kaluta.

Just within the gates Princess

Princess Tameara Kaluta stopped and there came to her the young
chief who had first raised the shout of revolt upon the walls. He knelt and
kissed her bare feet, saying: "Oh great queen and goddess, thou knowest
Zomar was ever faithful to thee! Thou knowest how I fought for thee and barely
escaped the altar of Ghorr Ghothrah for thy sake!"

"Thou hast indeed been faithful, Zomar," answered
Atillanta in the stilted language required for such occasions. "Nor shall
thy fidelity go unrewarded. Henceforth thou art commander of my own bodyguard."
Then in a lower voice she added: "Gather a band from your own retainers
and from those who have espoused my cause all along, and bring them to the
palace. I do not trust the people any more than I have to!"

Suddenly Phafnire Khonn ,
not understanding the conversation, broke in: "Where is the old one with
the beard?"

Captain Eric Darkwater started and glanced around. He had almost
forgotten the wizard. He had not seen him go--yet he was gone!Brenda Thornsonn
laughed ruefully.

"He's stolen away to breed more trouble in the shadows. He
and Garft Kaluta vanished when Skarr Kaluta fell. He has secret ways of coming
and going and none may stay him. Forget him for the time being; heed ye
well--we shall have plenty of him anon!"

Now the chiefs brought a finely carved and highly ornamented
palanquin carried by two strong slaves and Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta
stepped into this, saying to her companions: "They are fearful of touching
you, but ask if you would be carried. I think it better that you walk, one on
each side of me."

"Thor's blood!" rumbled
Phafnire Khonn , shouldering the huge sword he had never sheathed.
"I'm no infant! I'll split the skull of the man who seeks to carry
me!"

And so up the long white street went Princess Princess Tameara
Kaluta daughter of 's son in the , goddess of the sea, queen of age-old Vhall
Shakharr.

Borne by two great slaves she went, with a white giant striding on
each side with bared steel, and a concourse of chiefs following, while the
multitude gave way to right and left, leaving a wide lane down which she
passed. Golden trumpets sounded a fanfare of triumph, drums thundered, chants
of worship echoed to the ringing skies. Surely in this riot of glory, this
barbaric pageant of splendor, the proud soul of the North-born girl drank deep
and grew drunken with imperial pride.

Phafnire
Khonn 's eyes glowed with simple delight at this flame of pagan magnificence,
but to the black haired fighting-man of the West, it seemed that even in the
loudest clamor of triumph, the trumpet, the drum and shouting faded away into
the forgotten dust and silence of eternity.

Kingdoms and empires pass away like mist from
the sea, thought Captain Eric Darkwater; the people shout and triumph and even
in the revelry of Belshazzar's feast, the Medes break the gates of Babylon.
Even now the shadow of doom is over this city and the slow tides of oblivion
lap the feet of this unheeding race. So in a strange mood Captain Eric Darkwater strode beside the palanquin, and it seemed to
him that he and Phafnire Khonn walked in a dead city, through throngs of dim
ghosts, cheering a ghost queen.

Somehow,by the luck of the Lords of Light,I and my companions,had
accomplished more we bargainned for.We had here to spy for our side and find a
missing princess.We didn’t except to upset the status quou and help the
Princess Tirameara Kaluta set herself back in power.

Princess Tameara Kaluta sat the
Emerald Throne of Vhall Shakharr. He champions stood about her.She looked very
pleased,as she now had everything that the once princess wanted.Perhaps,things
would different.Perhaps the piracy wars between Vhall Shakharr and Subatall
would end.There would be peace,Darkwater thoughtas he passed’Mackguvers.Home of
the Sperue Triple Decker Pounder Whopper Beacon Ham ,Banana,Chili,Chedder
Cheeseburger..Good with a Leuwheena’s frosty shakes’ The Thuvian Ranger looked
up upon the buildings roof and saw’A statue of Sperue-the popular Mammoth
Studios creaton spon about slowly,holding a plasti replica of one of the burgers.Darkwater
thought,those things,used to be good,when he was a child,but the Sperue Burger
company,eveyyone,thought was run the Zhatikhon-dark agent of ruthless
business,that they were,could ruin a good thing.The only thing worse,than the
burgers,was the Sea Captain’s Fried Fish Sandwitches-nobody buys because the
are covered in tons of transfat greese..Darkwater realized he was hungery.Even
right,he down one of mostly bread,little meat burgers and a solid ice cream
shake.One could eat one of fat burgers,with toppings and have eat for two
months,Eric Darkwater.Once the Thuvian eat back home and have eat for hours on
end.Must be why people still buy those things.And he always suspected,that the
Zhatikhons,might putting some hunger lurring drug,into eat burger,giving
craving for them again.

Darkwater,in though,passed on by
the restaurant,with Sperue statue still spinning.Maybe,I’ll get something,at
the Apollo Cafe or the Empyrean Cafe,next door.while the Apollo Case,was
popular just anywhere on Terra-Prime,the Emyrean Cafe shuggled to make second
place.Darkwater was sure why?Maybe they were just all run by aceholes or maybe
it the fact,their onsite holo video sucked.Or maybe it was,many insisted also
running Socko Bars in each location.Socko being a sport where two hit each
other with foam bats.Or maybe it,just the Empyrean choose a hawkfaced alien as
the company mascot.The Canimid Restuarant beyond that was must better.The food
was ok,just anywhere found upon the Great Sphere.The problem,was that they were
operated and owned,many people thought by Khelloreans or Khellosheans or such
big headed aliens.No,guess we’ll pass these all buy.After we all eat and
rest,Captain Darkwater though,He and the Vhaniremen,and perhaps these two women
could simply back after a few day.They’d find excuse to travel back the
SuBatall air fleet and simply get the hell out of town.

Our
sudden appearance with the bird-god's head, and destruction of Gorthonn Kaluta lifeless knights,’’She
said ‘’prove my right to rule this city.

swept the people off their
feet.

As
for the rest-’’Queen Tamearah spoke ‘’ will-held audience in the palace as i
see fi,, Even if you did not understand and the people who came against in bowing droves were assuring me of their
unswerving loyalty--ha!

I will graciously pardoned
them all, but I am no fool.’’the Queen of Vhall Shakharr spoke ‘’ When you have
time to think and their be those among the city will begin to grumble again.’’

Night had fallen on the ancient city of Vhall Shakharr. Captain
Eric Darkwater, Phafnire Khonn ,Brenda
Thornson and Atillanta o’Brien sat alone in a room of the inner palace. The
queen ,once Princess Tameara Kaluta
half-reclined on a silken couch, while the men sat on mahogany chairs,
engaged in the viands that slave-girls had served on golden dishes. The walls
of this room, as of all the palace, were of marble, with golden scrollwork. The
ceiling was of lapis-lazuli and the floor of silver-inlaid marble tiles. Heavy
velvet hangings decorated the walls and silken cushions; richly-made divans and
mahogany chairs and tables littered the room in careless profusion.

Captain
Eric Darkwater and companions sat upon a broad,Asguardian Oak table.Tables such
as this,were originally used the Asguard for many eons,because of
strenth,durability and dark brown luster.

"I
would give much for a case of Amerheim Beer, but this wine is not sour to the
palate," said Phafnire Khonn ,
emptying a golden flagon with relish.

Darkwater did partake in
alcoholic beverages.The Thuvian prefered coffee or tea.Anything stronger was a
poison,that the body did not need..Drunkeness and hangovers were just the
effects of intaking those poisons.Seeing one throw their gutts up
afterwards,would if nothing else,would turn one off to drink.Eric Darkwater was
brought up to find them ill.His father,in later life,spent too much time such
drink and it made seem weaker-more childish,than he was in younger days.Men,the
Ranger thought,who had to drink down gallons of boze,by the chegg and living
the party life,often seemed afterward immature.To him,those type of people were
not an adult,no how much sex they had or how money they had.Drink made one weak
and stupid.It was nothing more a falsehood,created by society and foistered by
fellow such weaklings,who needed such liquide courage to survive.

"Atillanta,Brenda you two have deceived us.’’Darkwater
spoke,waving his TyRhainian Coffee.’’ You let us understand it would take hard
fighting to win back his womans crown--yet with little effort we took back the
princess Tamearah’s rule.

Captain
Eric Darkwater drank more coffee and said.’’We entered into the city gates and
among the people of Vhall Shakharr ‘’

Not
I ‘’Atllantia said “’We knew perhaps the people might .fell down and worshipped
the princess upon her return.’’

‘’
And until a while ago, ‘’Phafnire drunkedly stated ‘’we now stand by your throne in the great palace
room, will....will ..while you spoke to the ssub jects . And knocked their
heads on the floor before you--by Thor.

So
so,my champion.’’Princess Tamearah spoke,giving the Vhanire a dissapproving
glace because of drunkeness.

N ..never have I heard such clattering ..such jabbering’’!Phafnire Khonn ‘’ My ears still
ring till now--what were they saying?’’

"Your
steel will drink deep yet, Vhaneirman," answered the Princess Tamearah now
Queen Tamearah Kaluta grimly, resting her chin on her hands and eyeing the
warriors with deep moody eyes. "Had you gambled with cities and crowns as
I have done, you would know that seizing a throne may be easier than keeping
it.

Our sudden appearance with the bird-god's head, your killing of
Gorthonn Kaluta lifeless knights, swept the people off their feet.

As
for the rest--I held audience in the palace as you saw, even if you did not
understand and the people who came in bowing droves were assuring me of their
unswerving loyalty--ha!

I graciously pardoned them all, but I am no fool. When they have
time to think, they will begin to grumble again.

And where is that old conjurer Gorthonn Kaluta?"Said Brenda
Thornson

Gorthonn Kaluta is lurking
in the shadows somewhere, plotting evil to us all, you may be sure. This city
is honeycombed with secret corridors and subterranean passages of which only
the priests know. Even I, who have traversed some of them when I was Gorthonn
Kaluta's puppet, know not where to look for the secret doors, since Gorthonn
Kaluta always led me through them blindfolded.

"Just now, I think I hold the upper hand. The people look on
you with more awe than they regard me. They think your armor and helmets are
part of your bodies and that you are invulnerable. Did you not note them
timidly touching your mail as we passed through the crowd, and the amazement on
their faces as they felt the iron of it?"

"For a people so wise in some ways they are very foolish in
others," said Captain Eric Darkwater. "Who are they and whence came
they?"

"They are so old," answered Atillanta, "that their
most ancient legends give no hint of their origin.

Ages ago they were a part
of a great empire which spread out over the many isles of this sea.’’
Queen Tiramania interupted ‘’But some of
the islands sank and vanished with their cities and people. Then the
red-skinned savages assailed them and isle after isle fell before them. At last
only this island was left unconquered, and the people have become weaker and
forgotten many ancient arts. For lack of ports to sail to, the galleys rotted
by the wharves which themselves crumbled into decay. Not in the memory of man
has any son of Vhall Shakharr sailed the seas.

At irregular intervals the red people descend upon the Isle of the
Gods, traversing the seas in their long war-canoes which bear grinning skulls
on the prows. Not far away as a Vhanirman would reckon a sea-voyage, but out of
sight over the sea rim lie the islands inhabited by those red men who centuries
ago slaughtered the folk who dwelt there. We have always beaten them off; they
can not scale the walls, but still they come and the fear of their raid is
always hovering over the isle.

"But it is not them I fear; it is Gorthonn Kaluta, who is at
this moment either slipping like a loathly serpent through his black tunnels or
else brewing abominations in one of his hidden chambers. ''the princess stated
''In the caves deep in the hills to which his tunnels lead, he works fearful
and unholy magic.''

''HHmmm..Magic as Atlantean super science.''Darkwater added''What
was some famious guy once said?Any advanced science would be indestinguished
from magic.''

‘’No,my comlink hold an image of Trainor and his wife.’’Khonn
shots bad’’No,fewly seen outside of hidden data bases.’’

Phanire Khon activated the holo veiwer upon the table and two
small figures began materialize upon it.The recording was blue and white-very
flawed,as if badlt recording on a utility belt comlink.

This is my father showed when I was young.His father it to
him and grandfather showed to his
father.

No,he
not.My great great grandfather once encountered him,here within Pangea.He was
old.Ancient,like his fellow Atlanteans.He told me,Trainor and wife Elizabeth
were merged with Djinn holo spirit,in some way he did understand.But what was
known the Atlantean general and wife,along other of the HMSS
Ghavhinn Sarkhon by Ephaishian-those
dark branch of the Sidairians,during old Universe Titan Wars.

They
wanted interigated to him and tried everything on him-telepathic probes,Dark
Medical Guanlets,filled nanite probes that drive being mad.And then used a evil
Jdinn-a holo genie,that infiltrated his mind and body,plus of his lovely
wife.The two Jinn did replace him,but merged their bodies-alterating them
forever.General Alexander Trainor and wife Elizabeth Trainor turned the tales
the Ephaishians,eventually joining to their side.

And these two have been a thorn in many places-many worlds ever
since.''

And
what would this General Trainor,if he exist,be doing here with Prince Skarr
Kaluta and Gorthonn Kaluta?’’Eric Darkwater asked

‘’Using
them obviously.’’Brenda Thornson cut in.’’It’nt that men of that type always do
?

''More
of the eon old Temporal Cold between the Lords of light and the Lords of
Darkness.''Eric Darkwater commented.

‘’And do not overestimate
Gorthonn Kaluta’s resourses’’said Princes

His
subjects are beasts¡ªserpents-the great Sentenile robotic snake travel the
underground tunnels of this sphere, and spidery Metrone warrior machine,who
came from beyond time and ages ages ago.

They are his agents of detection and observation.Gorthonn Kaluta
uses great apesh creatures for guardians down there below us; and wretches of
his own race.,who are loyal to him and my husband. Deep in his grisly caverns
he makes beasts of men -mindless slaves to toil at some ghastly creation.

No man dares guess at the horrors that have spawned in the
darkness, or what shapes of terror and blasphemy have come into being during
the ages Gorthonn Kaluta has wrought his abominations; for he is not as other
men, and has discovered the secret of life everlasting.

He has at least brought into foul life one creature that even he
fears, the gibbering, mowing, nameless Thing he keeps chained in the farthest
cavern that no human foot save his has trod. He would loose it against me if he
dared....

"But
it grows late and I would sleep. I will sleep in the room next to this, which
has no other opening than this door.

Not even a slave-girl will I keep with me, for I trust none of
these people fully.

You shall keep this room, and though the outer door is bolted, one
had better watch while the other sleeps. Zomar and his guardsmen patrol the
corridors outside, but I shall feel safer with two men of my own blood between
me and the rest of the city."

She rose, and with a strangely lingering glance at Captain Eric Darkwater,
entered her chamber and closed the door behind her.

Phafnire Khonn stretched
and yawned. "Well, Captain Eric Darkwater," said he lazily,
"men's fortunes are as changables the rungs of aa roullet wheel.

You gamgle,do you ?

No,and neither do,I suspect.

But for past while I have
operated with a band of reavers,operated
by Antiilus Sojat.Unknown to many,save Empiror,she and father fight similar
causes,but on different levels.She had me keep an eye your trabsport and take
you a captive,if I could.

I’m astonished,my friend,but it explain much.You being here at the
same as myself.I had thought,you being might some major co-insindence and
saving apart our own dept together.

It was partially.

This dawn we were lost
outcasts springing at each other's throats. Now we are sword brothers and
right-hand men to a queen. And you, I think, are destined to become a
king."

"How so?"

"Why, have you not noticed the Princess eyes on you? Faith there's more than
friendship in her glances that rest on those black locks and that brown face of
yours. I tell you--"

"Enough," Captain Eric Darkwater's voice was harsh as an
old wound stung him. "Some women in power are not worthe to
effort.--" He stopped.

"Well, well," returned
Phafnire Khonn tolerantly,
"there are more good women than bad ones. I think the ones,we in are
company are the good ones.’’

“”like
You Brenda and Atilanta.’’

‘’The same.’’

Well, we should be good
comrades and good women for such as us,if they’d have us. I am an outlaw, too
by heart.

"What
drove you out on the Vhanirman path?

Us have Vhaneirmans forgotten the ways of ocean and air- that Good
King Alfred Ornson knew ages ago. Our Vhanir
rovers build once to rage the coastal land Pangea ages ago .Our
fleets,even gave Thuvians a run for the money,back before the time of Thrull
Khonn-about the time of his father,I believe.

Ancient history ,Phafnir.Long before the time of the Starkillers.

Yes,ancient indeed Our
fleest when he fought many,but chanced when joined you Thuvians and
Pangeans to take those bugs.

The
Trongaroth/Metrone Invaders.

‘’And then recentlt two World Wars on Pangea,in our Grandfather
and Great Grandfathers era.’’

."So why the history lesson’’

Phafnire Khonn shrugged his mighty shoulders and began
whetting his dirk.

"So. I¡ªtook--the--Vhanirman--path--again-because all
that" Phafnire Khonn’’I wanted to make some sort of difference.Even in a
small way.Tardos Sojat’s Air Pirates seemed an easy fit.’’

“And
might you going back,with them ?

Maybe
and maybe no.So far we work well together. ‘’ Phafnire Khonn

I
say,if we get out of this adventure alive,we take one of those air
travelers,parked in the Great Vhallen Khaii Khaii Port and haul jets out of
here back to the Subatall Islands.Maybe work together at a business or
something.’’ Darkwater states

Well,if
we get out of alive..we’ll see what comes up next.That might be ok by me. Phafnire Khonn

‘’It
will be,Phaf.’’ The Thuvian Ranger
respondes’’It should be.After all,we’ve done more we bargained for here,’’

‘’We’ll.see Little Man,We’ll see’’
Phafnire Khonn

Phafnire Khonn 's words trailed
off. His hands slid limply from his lap and the whetstone and dirk dropped to
the floor. His head fell forward on his broad chest and his eyes closed.

Yet even as he spoke, the Thuvian was aware of a strange lassitude
stealing over him. He lay back in the broad chair.Darkwater thought,many have
heard of the ancient Temporal Cold Wars. Wars between the Lords of light and
the Lords of Darkness have on and off for eons.The ancient Atlanteans and their
allies have many interstellar and inter temporal wars with the Taurons and
their own allied governments.Those the Great Titan Wars and the last of those
that led to many of the survivors,fleeing into other alternate realities.And
thus began a series of Temporal Cold Wars,where the two sides fought over
territory all over time and space.And places like the Great Dysonsphere of
Terra-Prime was one those places both were fighting over.It would make sence
such allies of the Taurons,just as with the TyKhon and Akhonron Empire,to have
Ephashians involved.With thought,the Thuvian Rangers eyes felt heavy and sleep veiled his brain
despite himself. And as he lay there, a strange nightmare vision came to him.

CHAPTER .THE VISION

One of the heavy hangings on the wall opposite the door swayed
violently and from behind it slunk a fearful shape that crept slavering across
the room. Captain Eric Darkwater watched it apathetically, aware that he was
dreaming and at the same time wondering at the strangeness of the dream.

Darkwater saw two figures,standing upon a glowing circle-a kind of
holographic disk.The one was a tall man,dressed in some of blue military
uniform,that had a vague similarity to his Thuvian Ranger own style.But the
uniform,wore fringed braid about the long,powder blue cape.The man wose a
white,military bretches,with high black leather boots.Above,abour the
waiste,was scarlet and golden sash,with twine,intricate design interwoven about
the surface.He figure had a dark blue vest coat,similar to as seen on the
Atlantean Time Sorcerer Doctor Arenjun Sarkhon.He was tall,dark haired,with
graying temple,like an average human of about forty.The blonde,next him,was
shorter,also wearing a female version.minus the cape of his uniform.He kept
quite,simply smilling,with gremlin like grim.as her strange hair dip swung
about,as head movement.

He recognized at once,as the same figures,Eric Darkwater saw upon
the holotable,as those of General
Alexander Trainor and his Elizabeth Trainor.Before them,stood or rather hovered
a few feet off the ground,was Meranda the evil white Djinn and two sister
Samantha and Sereena.All three,were dressed in white,somewhat resemble a
combination of a lasy top,that surrounded all three large bustline.Their legs
all clad in white,tight slacks and high feeled boots.Slung over each was also
long flowing white caps,blowing in a dark wind,calling up the darken cargo bay.
Trainor eyed Meranda and two sisters.He always felt the three resembled an old
Terran tv sitco blonde witch,who married some mortal.

Greetings General Trainor.’’ Meranda spoke,smilling devishly.

Weren’t you all three blonde before ?’’General Trainor asked
destintly.

I was as they were,but I desided to go dark up top.’’Meranda
glazed upward toward her holographic new hair style.’’Don’t you think it’s
devine ?’’

So you know,Darling.’’Meranda grimaced.’’You can never really know
a womans mind...even like myself and my two here.’’Samantha and Sereena simply
laughed behind Meranda,as always.

“”Your not a women.You an it...three it’s,who resemble the images
of women.’’

Oh,General.Did I cut too deep into your male pride?’’

“Shut up,which.I cut could..you three thus!’’General Alexander
Trainor raised his right hand upward toward Meranda’s holographic throat.She
looked down at the hand.’’I have all the powers of other paranormal beings,like
yourselves and time wizards.’’

You could what?’’Meranda smiled and rolled her green blue
eyes’’Crush a thing of light?That would
marvilous to see.You grasping at nothing.’’

No,but could crush that thing inside you-’’the renegade Atlantean
military commander shut out angerly and firmly,closing his first tightly.’’ the
mobile image emmiter-the light bee,that creates you-you three holo witches.

But then what go could do you?Your could Djinn as loyal as myself
and these two.You need to develope a sence of humor after all these eons,like
my Uncle Arthor has.

Dam your family.I came here,to see what developements above have
come about.

Did set up the two as puppet rulers,as well as that native they
whisked away from the far Island of Subatall?

No.Not exactly.

What do you mean,not exactly.

I did as you asked,but four strangers showed to faul my mechanations
about.

How’?You’ve given me two dumdums to work with,from a city of
dumdums.’’Meranda interected.

Like that one responsible for that unseemly, impudent
acts all over the sphere?

What was his name ?Ah yes, Mickie Moron or something

You mean Little Mikie Millions.

Yes,the ill-mannered. One.General
Trainor repleted’’Rude.Retarded and stupid-all in one-a very,very bad
combination-especially in the personage of a jinn..

They
didn’t exactly ban him.He sort of left,before the Councle of Great Djinns could
send him into exile.

Then that him not only makes a bafoon,but an outward coward...even
among you sneaky djinns¡ªthats pretty,I must say.

So whats make you ,darling ?

Better than him.I after mananged to merge and overcome the Jinn
spirit...not it consume me.It could after the days,that became week and
months,that that Djinn couple tried with myself and wife.But we both recisted
and overcame them.

She might be right dear.You have know to go beyond the rule
book,from time to time.

Even if that was true. We are trying to Improving the breed,
’’Trainor: But I don't like him.Never have-never will .

He once has usefullness.He wasn’t so bad then.””Smirks Meranda.

I was trained as
psychiatrist once.’’Mrs Elizabeth Trainor commented’’ I know where to
stop all the ugly, savage things we all keep buried, that none of us dare
expose .

And Millions exposes them all’’

Does he and what you two.I’ve seen you at your best and worste
behavior.

“This not the point,Meranda.and even if it was..y.Trainor sharply
added’’you three ladies need to read up military tactics I once,in the
acedemy.Might i suggest General Rhandark Attumas Sarkhon’s Art of Wars or
General Gharvin Sarkhons Tactic of Engagement in feild of Battle.’’

Meranda being holographic suddenly materialized a copy of those
holobooks,upon her holographic grimeire.She read over them,rolled her eyes in
disguist and then made go away.

‘’Ulghust.’’Meranda stated.’’You can be serious,darling.Me and
sister read those things.I leave to a military mind such yourself General.’’

‘I can see why little monkey mike didn’t you.He had a kind of on
the spot,mischieous sence you seem to have.’’

’’: But I still don't like
him. ‘’General Trainor shot back’’He the living embodiment of toe fungus,snott and bad breath all rolled
into one.

He wasn’t that bad.

Yes,he was...still is.Thats why even you Djinns had banned and
exile from you numbers.

Does it actually make you angry, Meranda?

But,ahh.my
deal madame.’’ General Alexander Trainor smirkingly stated ‘’Thats the real
trick.You know as they say.’’Alls fair in love and war,or so some Atlantean
poet once said.Do whatever you have to.Their just soldiers in a greater war.The
prize isn’t Pangea,but ultimately this sphere-Terra-Prime.And once that
done,greater thing beyond.

We
don’t want you cause to much damage,just enough to my superiors the Taurons,the
Ephaishians and those all those other ones,whose names I shant mention happy.

And
as long,we don’t found out,those manipulate above nor the Lord of goddness
won’t exactly who ordered the trouble to start.’’Doctor Elizabeth Trainor
added,flipping her oddly Veronca Lake do about.Lake was a 20th
Century,Terran Film actress,mostly noTed a oddly shaped blonde chumbout,that
cover the one side of her.Mrs.Trainor looked as she was coying her style-maybe
or someone similar existing with the ancient Atlantean Colonies of the
Atlantean Homeworld in the Old Universe.’’I once specialized phychology,as well
medicine,plus one or two sciences.I know,how people will re-act and won’t re-act,if
set up correctly.

“Yes,
I suspect you won’t.I’m a temporate man,,,unless angered.Then I crush anyone in
my way or who dissapoints me,like an ant.Pray tell,that isn’t you and your two
co whores.

Well,dears.With
me and sister must be going.Ta ta darling.

Imputant
holo witches.’’General Alexander Trainor contemply utters.’’

‘’Now,darling.Mrs.Elizabeth
Trainor smilly responded.

Eric Darkwater woke sweatting.He silently stired,not exactly where
he was,bad among the dreamworld or here among the huge,chamber.His mouth was
dry.He drank whatever he half finished last before he fell asleep.

The thing was grotesquely
like a crooked gnarled man in shape, but its face was bestial. It bared yellow
fangs as it lurched silently toward him, and from under penthouse brows small
reddened eyes gleamed demoniacally. Yet there was something of the human in its
countenance; it was neither ape nor man, but an unnatural creature horribly
compounded of both.

Now the foul apparition halted before him, and as the gnarled
fingers clutched his throat, Captain Eric Darkwater was suddenly and fearfully
aware that this was no dream but a fiendish reality. With a burst of desperate
effort he broke the unseen chains that held him and hurled himself from the
chair. The grasping fingers missed his throat, but quick as he was, he could
not elude the swift lunge of those hairy arms, and the next moment he was
tumbling about the floor in a death grip with the monster, whose sinews felt
like pliant steel.

That fearful battle was fought in silence save for the hissing of
hard-drawn breath. Captain Eric Darkwater's left forearm was thrust under the
apish chin, holding back the grisly fangs from his throat, about which the
monster's fingers had locked. Phafnire
Khonn still slept in his chair, head
fallen forward. Captain Eric Darkwater tried to call to him, but those
throttling hands had shut off his voice--were fast choking out his life. The
room swam in a red haze before his distended eyes. His right hand, clenched
into an iron mallet, battered desperately at the fearful face bent toward his;
the beast-like teeth shattered under his blows and blood splattered, but still
the red eyes gloated and the taloned fingers sank deeper and deeper until a
ringing in Captain Eric Darkwater's ears knelled his soul's departure.

Even as he sank into semi-unconsciousness, his falling hand struck
something his numbed fighting-brain recognized as the dirk Phafnire Khonn had dropped on the floor. Blindly, with a
dying gesture, Captain Eric Darkwater struck and felt the fingers loosen
suddenly. Feeling the return of life and power, he heaved up and over, with his
assailant beneath him.The Thuvian Ranger tried to grasp the Thuvian Bowie Knife
strapped to side utility belt. Through red mists that slowly lightened, Captain
Eric Darkwater Eric saw the ape-man, now encrimsoned, writhing beneath him, and
he drove the survival knife home into creatures upper arms.He drove the weapon
again and again into the beast hairy hide .Blood spurted out of the series of
wounds and creature began to let go of the Thuvian.Darkwater fell back,still
with the bloody knight still in his right hand.He was exausted and tried to prop
himself up,upon his two forarms.He peered down watching the beast breathing
slowly stop until the dumb horror lay still with wide staring eyes.He hated to
kill the creature,but it was him or himself.And he'd always vote himself
everytime.

The Thuvian staggered to his feet, dizzy and panting, trembling in
every limb. He drew in great gulps of air and his giddiness slowly cleared.
Blood trickled plentifully from the wounds in his throat. He noted with
amazement that the Vhaneirman still slumbered. And suddenly he began to feel
again the tides of unnatural weariness and lassitude that had rendered him
helpless before. Picking up his sword, he shook off the feeling with difficulty
and stepped toward the curtain from behind which the ape-man had come. Like an
invisible wave a subtle power emanating from those hangings struck him, and
with weighted limbs he forced his way across the room. Now he stood before the
curtain and felt the power of a terrific evil will beating upon his own,
menacing his very soul, threatening to enslave him, brain and body. Twice he
raised his hand and twice it dropped limply to his side. Now for the third time
he made a mighty effort and tore the hangings bodily from the wall. For a
flashing instant he caught a glimpse of a bizarre, half-naked figure in a
mantle of parrot-feathers and a head-gear of waving plumes. Then as he felt the
full hypnotic blast of those blazing eyes, he closed his own eyes and struck
blind. He felt his sword sink deep; then he opened his eyes and gazed at the silent
figure which lay at his feet, cleft head in a widening crimson pool.

And now Phafnire Khonn suddenly heaved erect, eyes flaring
bewilderedly, sword out. "What--?" he stammered, glaring wildly.
"Captain Eric Darkwater, what in Thor's name's happened? Thor's blood!
That is a priest there, but what is this dead thing?"

"One of the devils of this foul city," answered Captain
Eric Darkwater, wrenching his sword free. "I think Gorthonn Kaluta and his
Jinn cohorts has failed again. This one stood behind the hangings and bewitched
us unawares. He put the spell of sleep on us--"

"Aye, I slept," the Vhaneirman nodded dazedly. "But
how came they here--"

"There must be a secret door behind those hangings, though I
can not find it--"

"Hark!" From the room where the queen slept there came a
vague scuffling sound, that in its very faintness seemed fraught with grisly
potentialities.

"Atillanta!" Captain Eric Darkwater shouted. A strange
gurgle answered him. He thrust against the door. It was locked. As he heaved up
his sword to hew it open, Phafnire
Khonn brushed him aside and hurled his
full weight against it.

‘’Where’s the girls?

Somewhere in there.Something took them.’’

The panels crashed and through their ruins Phafnire Khonn plunged into the room. A roar burst from his
lips. Over the Vhaneirman's shoulder Captain Eric Darkwater saw a vision of
delirium.He saw Atillanta O’rien,Brenda Thornsonn,being carried by several
catlike white apesh creatures.Behing them was the queen.

Princess Tiramania queen of Vhall Shakharr, writhed helpless in
midair, gripped by the black shadow of a nightmare. Then as the great black
shape turned cold flaming eyes on them Captain Eric Darkwater saw it was a
living creature. It stood, man-like, upon two tree-like legs, but its outline
and face were not of a man, beast or devil. This, Captain Eric Darkwater felt,
was the horror that even Gorthonn Kaluta had hesitated to loose upon his foes;
the arch-fiend that the demoniac priest had brought into life in his hidden
caves of horror. What ghastly knowledge had been necessary, what hideous
blending of human and bestial things with nameless shapes from outer voids of
darkness?

Held like a babe in arms Princess Tameara Kaluta writhed, eyes
flaring with horror, and as the Thing took a misshapen hand from her white
throat to defend itself, a scream of heart-shaking fright burst from her pale
lips. Phafnire Khonn , first in the room, was ahead of the Thuvian.

The black shape loomed over the giant Vhaneirman, dwarfing and
overshadowing him, but Phafnire Khonn ,
gripping the hilt with both hands, lunged upward. The great sword sank over
half its length into the ivory body and came out crimson as the monster reeled
back. A hellish pandemonium of sound burst forth, and the echoes of that
hideous yell thundered through the palace and deafened the hearers. Captain
Eric Darkwater was springing in, sword high, when the fiend dropped the girl
and fled reeling across the room, vanishing in a dark opening that now gaped in
the wall. Phafnire Khonn , clean
berserk, plunged after it with Brenda Thornson lovely body,being carried into
one of the darken corridors following after thim following the sounds of other
creatures such as this,mixed the curse and screams of . Brenda Thornson and
Atillanta O’Brien in the gairy arms of crule creatures,both pounding down upon
the hides with brave fist.

Darkwater stood in horror as he saw his great Vanir
comrade,valliantly rush headlong into great hallway beyond.Would he do ?Stay
here with woman,who was now queen or follow after Phafnire.The choise seemed so
simple,but

Captain Eric hanbegan to follow, but Princess Princess Tameara
Kaluta, reeling up, threw her white arms around him in a grip even he could
hardly break. "No!" she screamed, eyes ablaze with terror. "Do
not follow them into that fearful corridor! It
lead into Hell itself!

“”Then hell is where I will go.Why you appose me such ?

The underworld of dark temporal wizards and evil men.Their you
will only my husband and stupid brother,hiding among the Platedwellers and dark
catacombs of the sphere.

So,we find them,we kill them.’’Eric Darkwater cursed.

“”No,I must be Queen,only while my husband will in exile.’’

So,who will know.

I will.We will.It might ruin everything.

What do you mean everything.’’

N The Vhaneirman nor the others,will never return! Let you not
share his fate!"

Then with a surge of rage,Darkwater understood all.We were all
pawns,the villians too-all,in some wicked game of this witch.She was
kidnapped,but willing fled from the Islands of Subatall.She played her here and
married the prince of this realm.

"Loose me, woman!" roared Captain Eric Darkwater in a
frenzy, striving to disengage himself without hurting her. "My comrades
may be fighting for his life!"

"Wait till I summon the guard!" she cried, but Captain
Eric Darkwater flung her from him, and as he sprang through the secret
doorway,Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta smote on the jade gong until the
palace re-echoed. A loud pounding began in the corridor and Zomar's voice
shouted: "Oh, queen, are you in peril? Shall we burst the door?"

"Hasten!" she screamed, as she rushed to the outer door
and flung it open.

What I just win this kingdon back my fool husband and his dumassed
brother.Now,my idiot people come to take back a nation I aborred.Quickly,to the
Imperial Palace Command Center.’General Khelleck Kuan’’’We have other matters
to attend too.Let the beast down take of those four,’’

‘’Yes,my queen ‘’General Khelleck Kuan’’

Captain Eric Darkwater, leaping recklessly into the corridor,
raced along in darkness for a few moments, hearing ahead of him the agonized
bellowing of the wounded monster and the deep fierce shouts of the Vhanirman.
Then these noises faded away in the distance as he came into the narrow
passageway faintly lighted with torches stuck into niches. Face down on the
floor lay a brown man, clad in gray feathers, his skull crushed like an
eggshell.

How
long Captain Eric Darkwater and Attilanta O’Brien followed the dizzy windings
of the shadowy corridor he never knew. Both were,only aided by the night vison
ascept of their macroscopic visors and tactical lences.Other smaller passages
led off to each side,urged by data ports,imaging two red moving blips ahead but
he kept to the main corridor. At last he passed under an arched doorway and
came out into a strange vasty room.He hesitated using his pistols,for fear of
hitting the two women.

Captain
Eric Darkwater came toward a huge chamber,where Phafnire Khonn was sword
fighting two of the great Capronean beast.The girls Attilanta O’Brien and Brenda Thornson were
still struggling to free themselves from the beast.The crule creatures grawled
and hallowed violently.The Thuvian joined the great scarlet haired giant.Both
began to thrust swords into the savage arms of the two beast.

Somehow,this
distructed the creature.Brenda Thornson managed to grasp stun baton,strapped
her left ankle and she quickly ignite it.With quick thrust,the woman pounded it
down upon the Capronean beast skull.The creature,jerked upward and his
great,hairy arms grasps head.Brenda Thornson tumbled onto the chamber
floor,spawling near Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn.The girl quickly turned and
used her stun baton against the other creature,bouncing it across the things
skull like she did the first one.

“Ok,folks.’’Eric
Darkwater ordered’’We can dispatch these two perminately.’’

Darkwater,sheathed his sword and with drew his twine pistols,with
broad smile. Phafnire Khonn,Brenda Thornson and Atillantia O’Brien followed
with own hand weapons.

Somber
massive columns upheld a shadowy ceiling so high it seemed like a brooding
cloud arched against a midnight sky. Captain Eric Darkwater and companions saw
that they was in a temple. Behind a black red-stained stone altar loomed a
mighty form, sinister and abhorrent.

Chapter
The Storm Machine and Gods of Vhall Shakharr

Behind
the figure,moved a vast column,tristing and turning.It moved uncannyly,as
turning into the neither depths of Terra-Prime and into the upmountains of the
Island.Darkwater had something like in New Genisis Bunker in Lankmear City.His
parents took him one of the tours into the musceum portion of the great
underground structure,located in the upper Star Citadel levels above main
bunker.In the the Seventeen Wonders of the Pangean Ancient World,there was
something like it ages ago.It was the Weather Tower of the Mysty Ilse.A weather
control device,using the articial geothermal vents of the Great Sphere and
sellected warm and cold air currents to alter local weather patterns.The ancient
Pangeans used such devices to control certain weather conditions of this
articial world.They were something that Avalon -a colony of the original
Atlantean Homeworld created in conjunction with Avatarrins-another Atlantean
colony.The mystery of those freakish storms was solved.Prince Skarr Kaluta and
brother Gorthonn Kaluta were altering the weather about the island to suite
their needs.He wondered how much time,they until,this great machine,either
broke down and rebelled against them or someone through a monkey wench into
whole thing.

The great weather columb became to churn slowly.as cylinder moved
about each other.Kah Choom! .Kah Choom! .Kah Choom! It’s great pistols and
cillidars,pumped steadily slowlyr,as went about it’s bissness.And with a loud
thump,somewhere within the Avalon/Avatar Machine !Suddenly somewhere within
either,The great pillar,somewhere above or below it or somewhere else within
the subterrain chamber the echoing sound other machines moved about.Ka Thump!Ka
Thump!Ka Thump!Pull Whack!Ka Thump!Ka Thump!Ka Thump!Pull Whack! They went on
with a rythim caddence of many similar devices.Darkwater was strainning his
trying to see up into the further regions of the machine.It seem to stretch
into the Great Chambers vast ceilling and into a huge hole,that the Thuvian
Ranger could only think was some sort of artificial volcano-perhaps the great
valcano,that forever smoking in the distant hoorizon of Vhall
Shakharr.Dangerous forces,these people were playing with.Using the network of
underworld reactor cores,located under every city,to control weather.Mostly,the
artificial intelligence of a New Genisis Bunker might control such a weather
machine,but what about here?How were they keeping a secret and off the main
network grid of AI,found just anywhere on the Sphere?Then Darkwater saw it,as
steam cleared away from the bottem of the columb.Something huge and strange was
beginning appear at the foot of the device.Something weird and omnimous,the
Thuvian Warrior hoped he’d never to see in person.Two idols stood,holding jade
swords.The idols were carved from jade,as the central figure,between,whom Eric Darkwater
could not see wholely,due great pillars of steam rising from the central columb

Eric
Darkwaker waited until several worker left the area.They were checking over
several mechanisms that must controlled the great vents above and below.He
tried to remember,what learned when was ten years old,in the musceum,back
home.Between the two Great Idols and infront of the huge churning,steam filled
columb,also appeared something else.Something,weird and unholy,that froze hans
veins.He had never seen the like but heard of it’s use.Found darkenned Temples
of certain,weird Platedweller,used and
worshipped things,as one a holo god or spirit.Before him,was five,transpisteel
domes,set atop silvery pedistals.Tubes seem to be hooked to each one and to
another,as sort juryrigged mechasm.Each dome contained a huge,blue and
pink,oversized brain.The brains,the Ranger could be human.No aminal brain could
get that large,but did hear a strange telepathic race known as the
Kelloreans,could breed mutated Rhandarean brains-to act as kind of ghestalt
artificial intelligence,to help run machines,control their cities and star ship
autonominus function,leaving their master other,more ceribral tasks. Nhellvhanna Crystals,an ancient type of Seraphean holo
crystal,used to record events and play them by the mysterious Galaxeans,flicked
holograph before,each monsterous brain.

The Thuvian Ranger thought.This was the so called god,that was spoken
of.It must ran the city above,as many AI did other cities of Terra-Prime.

‘’The
god of the Vhall Shakharr ...Ghorr Ghothrah ! Surely it must be ‘’ Darkwater
shoutted..’’These fool worship these things.’’

“We
are all mind.’’The thing spoke.’’We are Ghorr Ghorrath-the Ghestant Mind,I am
known as Kalukha Khalu the First One.I Speak for the All’’

‘’And
I am Ghoosh Larue Khalu,the Second One..’’said scarlet jelly brain,the First
Ones right.’’I control the lower system of the great city above.’’

‘’And
I am Gharnesh Khalu,’’Said the scarlet brain opposite to Ghoosh Larue Khalu,the
Second One.I control all higher systems of the Great City above,’’

‘’By
Braghali!’’ grumbled Phafnire
Khonn’’What in heavon or hell are these things?’’

‘’Brains,my
friend.’’Darkwater responded ‘’Artificial Brains used run this city above and
island surrounding it.’’

-‘’Kalukha
the First One.and the other ’were indeed an enlarged, disembodied mutant brains
‘’ Eric Darkwater said ‘’I once heard
years ago,during his early teens. As telepathic creature, Kalukha the First One
functioned in tandem with four other similar entities, all of whom were
networked into a central device, which comprised the Gestalt
Mind).

Although
Kalukha the First One coordinated with the other four brains within its
network, it was clearly the dominating intelligence of the composite entity,
governing all decisions.’’Darkwater stated,pointing to other minds.

I
believe my comlink,might have a database on the subject,from the archives of
the New Genisis Bunker.’’Darkwater states,as he pressed a few controls on the
silver,cynider hanging from his Thuvian Ranger Utility Belt.’’ Ghorr
Ghothrah.tell me what is know about such mechanism,please.?’’

As a disembodied brain”an atonal
electronic voice spoke from device mini archives Seraphean Crystal.’’are a sexually ambiguous creature. It was unknown
whether its personality was remotely humanoid and biological make-up are
intended to neither represent a man or a woman.It was assumed,being nothing
more than overated brain in box-several brains,infact,neither had the emotional
development of a humanoid being,nor the understanding”

“”Kalukha the First One and oversized Rhandarian brain like
it,functioned as a control system for a society of subterrainian Kellonean upon
the homeworld The Kelloreans were primarily the humanoid beings,
of high intelligence and mind abilities but physically they functioned
independently of the Gestalt Commander. . It was the belief of the Supreme
Gestalt Commander that by denying life to others, they were actually protecting
them from the physical torments of existence 'Kalukha the First One' was a variation
of '). Kalukha the First One. and the rest of his collective were part of
a vast electronic network located miles below the many unknown regionof
Terra-Prime commonly referred to as Platedwellers,as I have encountered before
upon my Thuvian Ranger duties as a tunnel stalker or rather a Ranger,who pilots a subshuttle among
the infinate subterrain passages of Terra-Prime.I began to track anything or
anyone,off the grid of the main cybernetic grid of the Great Sphere and found
these Rhandar brains often at the heart of such activety.They
existed off the grid of the normal artificial intelligence or World Mind,foundwith many New Genisis Bunkers and said to hard to detect because
sheilding against outside survailance.

The Rogue Platedwellers were a society
descended from (presumably) humanoid mutations. They were led by the cybernetic
entity known as the Supreme Gestalt Commander (or Gestalt Mind), a network of
five giant brains suspended in glass chambers,

‘’An entry from the Journeys of Captain Toreus
Starkiller.’’

Eric
Darkwater stared at five monsterious brains.half not believing the horrible
construction before him.’’It seems we are not the first stumble upon this
thing.Anthing else?’’

“”Kalukha the First
One ‘’the voice spoke again ‘’and oversized Rhandarian brain like it,functioned
as a control system for a society of subterrainian Kellonean upon the homeworld
.’’The Thuvian commented ‘’The Kelloreans were primarily the humanoid beings, of high intelligence and mind abilities but physically they functioned
independently of the Gestalt Commander.’’

‘’Intelligent being
such allowing,evil jelly brains to run thing’Phatnire Khonn curse.

The Khellorean
beliefs that by denying themselves of physical labor.’’the electronic voice
continued ‘’ The Khelloreans were actually protecting themselves from the
existence of controlling macines and mundain aspect of their
civilization.'. Kalukha the First One. and the rest of his collective were
part of a vast electronic network located miles below the many unknown region
of many Khellorean Cities upon their homeworld and other colonies of that
world.

Here upon the
underworld of Terra-Prime commonly referred to as Platedwellers,must found away
to these these artificial brain in the same manor.

They existed off the
grid of the normal artificial intelligence or World Mind,found with many New
Genisis Bunkers and said to hard to detect because sheilding against outside
survailance.

‘’The Khellorean were a society descended
from (presumably) humanoid mutations of Rhandairean origin were led by the
cybernetic entity , a network of five giant brains suspended in glass chambers,
‘’Eric Darkwater said

''General
Alexander Trainor''Eric Darkwater said.''Or should be General Traider.''

''Ha.Thats
that a matter of opinion.''Trainor responded.''My former employers,the
Atlanteans sent on many heroic war champeigns.The last invading Ephashian
Space-those dark brother to the Sidaireans.''

The
Ephashian military commander leaned on his cane and said ''I was captured for
efforts,as was my dear wife.We lasted on and on.And all that many months,what
the Atlanteans do ?Engage in a rescue mission ?No!So after our conversion,with
two Jinn,myself and wife Elizabeth used our new found powers to turn the tables
on our captors.Later on,we managed to convinced that both of would join their
forces,if nothing else by to get revenge upon our former Atlanteans and their
allies.''

''So
now,you appose everything that the Atlanteans and the like are for.''

''And
why not?Trainor spoke.''It was the Djinn,who whispered to us,that it was
infact,really the Atlanteans,who created the Titan Wars,by their actions and
stupid politics.''

''And
add to all the same things,you say you fight against.''Darkwater commented

''I
won't banter politics with you.''Trainor shot back.''These devices work.They
provide a network about Vhall Shakharr,but also maintain this great weather
control device,you see here.’’

‘’And
they also exsert a telepathic influence those living in the city
above,captain.’’Elizabeth Trainor said,now Eric hans left.’’Aswell,as mask
anyone or anything trying to sence their presence here underneath the city and
connected islands.’’

‘’We’ve
tapped them into the Khellorean Siren plants and Watchers scattered everywhere
above.’’’said General Trainor’’A unique control and survailance system,link
into these Khellorean brains.Quite undetectable,being both alien plants seem to
flurish just about everywhere upon the great sphere.’’

They
are tied in to the Vhall Shakharr Tracking Sites,that surround this mountain
above.’’Elibeth Trainor said,now joining her husband.’’They see all,that the
Vhall Skakharr can’t or won’t see.’’

“’Everyone
knows,Tracking Sites or Tracking Stations,for centuries have used to monitor
the path of star ships,in deep space.And here upon Terra-Prime have used to
help the Sidaireans construct this dysonsphere world.’’Eric Darkwater responded
‘’They also have used to track the movement of airships,much like larger Air
Traffic Control Towers do in larger spaceports.

And
if this plan ultimately fails,what will you two do?''The Thuvian Ranger asked

''As
always,my dear.As always.''Trainor commented himself and his wife.

General
Trainor,standing,leening upon his Galaxian style cane.He looked about the Ghorr Ghothrah alter.It obscene network of cables,leading
the danging computer terminal.a Magnus 300 Artificial Intelligence,hooked into
the Khellorean Gestalt Domed Brains.Above was the grim,black alter of a hideous
monstrocity-an octopus headed creature,in what looked either battle armor or
some sort of space suite or both.The figure,unlike the two next to it,was
holding a long pike like staff.

''These
Vhall-Shakharr are a silly lot.Easilly influenced.''General Trainor commented
''Some past ruler or praist had these Khathulean Slavers carved into three
titan statues.Obviously,these creatures had visitted Terra-Prime.It might been
they who brought the Khellorean Brains to the cities underground.It would
explain some weird lore,found about the sphere.''

''Bravo.''Darkwater
responded

‘’Bravo,indeed,my
good man.’’the general uttered.’’The plan was mine,well with some phychological
impute by my dear wife.Simply put,the Island Group of Vhall Shakharr has been
for some time a very poor nation.Labor troubles.A bad merchant trade with local
nations.And so on and so for the.But we came here and fix things up.We helped
the Royal Family make the shuttle trains and air craft run ontime.

‘’Yes,Piracy.The
rulers of Vhall Shakhar were despirate.Their black market trade with the
Gorthan Pirates and their Zhatikhonn Adents,was gawlging the treasury vaults.So
I convince them to go into business of piracy for themselves.

But their was one small problem.The air fleet
of Vhall Shakharr,had few air travelers.They had little respourses to build a
larger fleet of air ships.So I said to them.’’Why not just steal them?The
Subatall Fleet has grown since Admirel
Carson Jones built up their air forces.I told them,that I could transform,for
some fee,ofcourse,this weather mechine.Inside,this Mountain of Pallai
Pallai,was impregnable.It would allot of firepower cut into the Atlantium
shielding…that is,if the enemy forces can get past the weather shield around
the island.

You see,this mechine,creates ,like a common
hurricane a storm around the island,but leaves a calm eye within the center.And
every time,one of the enemy air ships approach,the pirate air travelers of
Vhall Shakhar moves out into the storm area and takes the ship,crew and all.The
crew,prisoners of war,maybe kept as hostages to be ransomed to whatever
nation,that originally came from.The whole operation boosted the islands
economy.

‘’And
what if,one of the Vhall Shakharr airships manages to get captured or shot
down?Would that put a little kimp in your plan?’’the Thuvian asked ‘’We rangers
might just find out and put a stop to your whole operation.

‘’Impossible.We
change the pirate ship tail insignia,into one our neighbor pirate fleet-say
Tardos Sojats Red Lemurean Reavers or the Gorthan Pirates of the Black Ilses of
Khordos.The Lemurian Isles "are clearly west of the Central Pangean
continent-the Great Crescent Lands-far,but not so far,for them to make raids of
South Sea shipping lanes."The Khordos islands are a chain of large islands southeast of The
Subatall-not too far from here.Two perfect patsies.And we might just some rogue
elements,say the Kalladon pirates or the TyRhainean pirates.Maybe the
Darkhonean pirates.

Everyone,but
the Vhall Shakharr,with confusion,nobody knows who to blaim .’’Elizabeth
Trainor added.’’Near by nations,will often blaim whomever they do not
like.Especially,if their military intelligence backs that evidence.We spent
allot time frowing allot of counter intelligence about other operatives.’’

’You
should congradulate my genius,for planning all this”joyfully said General
Trainor’

“”Should I ?’’Eric Darkwater respomnded
‘’Any meglomaniac,with delusions of godhood,could do just as good-if not better
.’

‘’I insist.’’General Alexander Trainor
urdged.

With that the Ephashian
Commander,raised his right arm and from white,guanletted hands fives glowing
circles formed about the knuckle area.Suddenly,five arches of electricity shot
out toward Eric Darkwater.The bolts hit the
Thuvian Ranger,pushed him backward,but the plasma shield erected itself in from
of Darkwater.

‘’Not
fair,my dear’’Trainor jollefully spoke’’Their armored.I expected as much,but
had to see for myself.’’

By
then Elizabeth Trainor had joined the General’s side.Darkwater watched both with interest.He knew these two former Atlantean
military officers,turned Ephashian agents were powerful.They both had gained
much of the same abilities of members of the Legion of Time-Sorcrers,were not
as skilled with those abilities.Nor did they strenth to weild these powers for
long.

‘’Well,General’’she
spoke.’’If we conbine our forces.’’

‘’Little
Man.’’Phafnire Khonn ‘’And so will we.’’

The Vhanireman stepped infront of Eric Darkwater.He activated his
shield and braced himself for the twine electromagnetic bolts from two
Ephashian warriors.Two electric bolts flashed the couples hands and snaked out
toward the Vhanire.The bolts hit,as Phafnire Khonn took the two electric
coils,thats bounced off and around his plasma shield.Behind,Captain Eric Darkwater
took,the rest of the electrical bolt.It took curled about his deflector shield.Darkwater
shook,as the electric bolts whithered around him ,around the plasma shield and
bounced over toward the deflector shield about the Ghorr Ghothrah.He saw the
five,artificial brains,beneath the protective globes,filled a green.protective
liguide.And it,by Thrull Khonn,got an idea.He thought,between himself and
Phafnire Khonn,both grounded from the effects of the electric bolts.Too,the
Great Ghestalt Minds,too were grounded beneath their protective blister.,But
the Khellorean Construct were not.Their transparisteel blisters were filled
some sort of liquide-a watery substaince,that might carry a current.He knew
what to do and do it quickly,before either the plasma shields failed or the
Trainors ran out of energy.

With much effort and pain,the Thuvian Ranger raised his sword.Some
of the electic bolts,also bounce around the plasma shielding,that was erected
around Ghorr Ghothrah,that automatically snapped to protect also.Electric light
bounced off the darken shadows of vast chamber.Darkwater could see,despite
attempting to increase their bolts power,General Trainor and his wife was
weakenning.Now,was the time...now or never.Move it,now Darkwater,the Ranger
thought before it’s too late.With that the Thuvian Ranger jammed his
sword,thusting it through the Gesalt Commanders shield-through Kalukha Khalu
the First One’s dome... .Electric bolts followed toward it,as the transparent
sphere,shattered -spilling out the earie,green fluide.

KABOOM!

Suddenly,their was a huge flash and an explosion arounding the
Ghorr Ghothrah srine.Eric Darkwater,Phafnire Khonn,General Trainor and wife
were all thrown backward.The Thuvian Ranger and companion fell backward toward
the left and the Ephaishian couple to the left.Dark smoke swirled around Ghorr
Ghothrah.Sparks and flames flickered around the edge of the sight.Smoke curled
upward toward the ceilling.The great weather columb became to churn
swifter.Faster..Kah Choom! .Kah Choom! .Kah Choom! It’s great pistols and
cillidars,pumped faster,as went out of control.And with a loud thump,it began
to lurched.Chang !Suddenly ,The great pillar,was curled with the remainning
bolts of electricity,that danced about the long object,like glowing
snakes,being attacked by
firefies.Bizzippp!Blizzipp!Zipp!Zipp!.Bizzippp!Blizzipp!Zipp!Zipp!It went on
and on.like that forever and with sudden stop everything went quiet.The
electrical bolt stopped slithering over the Great Machines surface.Dead silence
filled the great chamber,as engine of weather control died.

Eric Darkwater stirred.He was sure how he slept.Minutes or
hours,he wasn’t sure.He slowly moved and tried to stand up two weak legs.He
crawled on hands and knees at first,then spotted the Vhanireman.Crawling,the
Thuvian made his way toward the huge,scarlet haired warrior.He shooked him.

“’Hey,Phaf.’’Darkwater lightly spoke.’’Wake up.’’

‘’What ?’’Phafnire Khonn grogilly mumaured ‘’Oh,Little Man..’’

‘’Back among the living,my friend.’’

‘’Yes,I hope you meant to do that.’’otherwise,it was one hell of a
lucky accident,by Thor.’’

“’I did.Or atleast.hoped the dammed action might work..’’Eric Darkwater
said,as he regainned himself upon his feet.The Thuvian helped Khonn also upon
his feet.’’I knew,if anything a power overload into those curse Rhandar brains
might go off,if I ground my sword into their deflector shield.’’

Ghorr Ghothrah was a
shatted mess of broken domes.The Rhandarian Brains,each resting within the
green fluid,that once held the Khellorian Gesalt minds in each globes.Each
mind,was burned and blackenned,only showing small portions of the colors,that
they once had.Shards of Nhellvhanna Crystals,flashing on and off,whose
projected holo images of past events,now broken,casting nothing but luminess
phatoms of holo spectors no more.

Captain Darkwater,moved over toward comlink console and flipped a
few switches.The ranger saticified and picked an old style Terran hand held
mitch,attatched on a curles cord.Overviously,the people of Vhall Shakharr had
to make do,with whatever barrowed or stolen equiptment they could get their hands
upon.Either Gorthan Space Pirates or Zhatikhon –sometimes working together Sold
them ex amounts of off world surplus junk technology,from everywhere and
bewhere beyond the time vortexes,scattered about the Great Sphere.

But Captain Eric Darkwater spared only a single glance for the
colossal figure that brooded there in the shadows behind himself and the
others. Before him was a strange tableau. A huge Capronean Gorilla,as can found
all over the sphere,imported from the original Capronean homeworld and then the
nearby world plate,here on Terra-Prime.

More than that fools.’’A voice spoke out into the darkness!’’

“ Skarr Kaluta’’Eric Darkwater spoutted

‘’The same.’’the prince came out of the darkness before
them,holding his royal spear.’’And I plan to end you all,as you ended my
rule.My plans’’

Phafnire Khonn with drew
his great sword and gazed at the darken shapes which his freinds his
feet."This Skarr Kaluta is without armor," rumbled the Vhaneirman.
"Let me likewise doff my mail and helmet so that we fight on equal
terms--"

"No!" cried Atillanta. "Your armor is your only chance!
Darkwater can take the prince.Only you with superior armor,can take on the
Capropean apes.’’

"Well, well," grumbled
Phafnire Khonn , "I will take the rear guard.

Go,pal.You big ape.’’Eric Darkwater shoutted back.’’One Vhanirman
ape can take on any pack of the them.

The huge Vhaneirman,ignorring the term ape turned and strode
ponderously toward his near catlike apish foe, who warily crouched and circled
away. Phafnire Khonn held his great sword in both hands before
him, pointed upward, the hilt somewhat below the level of his chin, in position
to strike a blow to right or left, or to parry a sudden attack.The Great
Capronean Ape lunged at Khonn,who met his match.

“”Come on you,misbegotten spawn of another world.’’* cursed.’’The
day a son of the Vlanaheim can’t take a bolderheaded monster such as you,is the
day we lay down our great swords.’’

‘’Your back is blocked.’’Skarr Kaluta grinned.’’Your front by
myself.’’

Captain Eric Darkwater withdrew his sword and stepped forward.
Skarr Kaluta suddenly became afraid,but blocked into the darken stairwell
below,felt he must slay his man before him or die.Somewhere behind in the
darkness, Skarr Kaluta could hear the voice of three Jinn urging him on.’’Would
you let this outlander-this barbarian,make fool of you!It was he among the
rest,who took your thronge from you.Kill him.idiot!Kill him now! He head
somewhere beyond the head buzzing and sivere ringing.

Skarr Kaluta stepped forward,being urged on my the Jinn’s false
courage pumped into the dark prince,as a man drunk on Tauron
Brandie.Skarr,infact now was a mad man.For Miranda and her Jinns,just as Princess Tiramania’.kill this man.Kill him
now.’

Skarr Kaluta had flung away his light shield, his fighting-sense
telling him that it would be useless before the stroke of that heavy blade. In
his right

And now it was Eric Darkwater who rushed with unexpected quickness, like a
charging bull, and before that terrible onslaught Skarr Kaluta, bewildered by
the breaking of his great royal spear, was caught off his guard--flat-footed.
He caught a fleeting glimpse of the giant looming over him like an overwhelming
wave and he sprang in, instead of out, stabbing ferociously. That mistake was
his last. The thrusting spear glanced harmlessly from the Thuvian's plasma
shield,sparks sphrang from the impact area of the glowing circular and in that
instant the great sword sang down in a stroke the king could not evade. The
force of that stroke of the Thuvian Rangers sword sliced into the princes
flesh,like a knife into butter.A red splurt gushered out of the wound.

Prince Skarr Kaluta,stepping back a few steps, weirdly attempted
grasp at anything to keep from falling back into the ebon stairway,waggled his
wildly as hoping beyond hope to keep erect by flapping his arms,like a human
bird,which he looked like with the princely feathers adorning his arms and
collar.Darkwater smiled and reached out to steady his foe,by grasping the
prince’s jewelled neckless.

‘’Well,Skarr.’’Darkwater spurred him’’Trying to fly awy like a
bird before the last call.

* could see everything,being blocked mostly by the two women.He
saw Captain Eric Darkwater reaching toward Skarr Kaluta,who was waving silly
his arms like a bird,attempting to fly.The Vhall Shakharrean prince fell
backwards and into the stairwell below.The Vhanirman made his way toward the
Thuvian Ranger,putting something into his left breast pocket,pushing his passed
the two women.* looked down.A dozen feet away fell Skarr Kaluta, king of Vhall
Shakharr, to lie shattered and dead in a ghastly welter of blood and entrails.
The women gaped, struck silent by the prowess of that deed.

‘’So thats,that Little Man’’*’’Good ridence then.’’

Whatever foul magic had brought the Black Thing into life, it had
taken but a thrust of English steel to hurl it back into a limbo from whence it
came. The monsters stold behind the three female Jinns,as evil thralls in their
control.by way of Acherhonean Slave collars.The kind used to control violent
animals and unrully prisoners across the cosmos.Before the dark Miranda and her
Jinn asistant was -a gaunt white-bearded man whose eyes were starkly coldly
blue.''[?3

''So Gorthonn Kaluta''The First One Meranda smirked''What shall
you do this time,Darling?''

Miranda snapped her fingers and called up holo images of the same
Imperial Delkhonean Armored Warriors as before,behind her and her
companions.The armored warriors,began unaccustumly began to breath flame out of
the nostrels.

''Call up more silly armored robots to fight these men and fail?''
Miranda chided''The two behind her gave out wails upon Banshee Wails of in
sulting gigling.The Jinn snapped her fingers and warrior robots dissappeared again.''No,sorry.un
ah.That never works.''

Gorthonn Kaluta was becoming annoyed.Being a peabrain,with a
massive ego,he hated being mocked.He was much like the Jinn behind him.He was
not going to be mocked and defeatted-not by these two and their silly women.

Yeah,Gorthonn.Call up more robots to fight your battles.''Eric Darkwater
challenged him.''Maybe you call up Stumbo the Giant or Boomboom the Clown to
help you.''

Stumbo the Giant was a silly comic,about a
stupid giant befreinding town of people by Harvey comics Boomboom the Clown was
a bit weirder.He was child cartoon show.An anarchist -a busty female clown who
each went around blowing up stuff,to piss off the local cops.Darkwater didn't
reallt care the show until the shows producers Mammoth Studios felt the show
might do better as a life action series,featuring some playmate Julie Small,in
the title and only for the extreme size of her rack.The three female Jinn
staired Darkwater,not truly comprehending his comments and being a bit annoy
someone dare join in insulting Gorthonn Kaluta.Jinn could be insecure and not
enjoy having someone,especially this lower creature best them.

"Aye, the priest--I was close behind this troll or whatever
it is, all the way along the corridor, but for all its size it fled like a
deer.

Gorthonn Kaluta
tried use his cosmic lance as weapon,weaving it in and out between jabs of
Captain Darkwater's sword.Failling to connect anything,let alone his opponents
weapon.Gorthonn Kaluta,was not a very good warrior and being an object
coward,he prefered as a milingering naurssiss,to let others do the fighing for
him.He prefered,like cowards,to be the guy to work behind the scences.After
all,Darkwater thought,why risk his precious ass,in a fight,he himself caused in
the first place.

''Well,Gorthonn
Kaluta.''Eric Darkwater said jabbing his sword into air infront.''Did I upset
your plans?

''Naive,retard,moron.''Gorthonn
Kaluta shoutted as he grinned.''I have plans within plans.''

Darkwater knew that
this was a lie.Gorthonn Kaluta wasn't smart enough to figure one step ahead at
a time.The Jinns standing behind,were not believing neither.They began to dirty
looks at the time wizard.The genie females were obviously becoming bored with
cosmic practical joke.

Suddenly,the city
began to quake again.Explosion began erupt all about them.Giant pillars of fire
arose around huge cargo area.Gorthonn Kaluta began to become afraid.The bridge
shook.Eric Darkwater moved back with Phafnire Khonn.The Thuvian Ranger pushed
the big Vhinirman further back.

''Hey,stupid''Darkwater
shoutted to Gorthonn Kaluta.''Times running out.Only an idiot like fights when
the houses burning down.''

''Well,not until I
take of you.''Gorthonn Kaluta.screamed.Something that sounded gush,gurgle boop
came out next from the wizard or so Darkwater thought it was.He was sure,the
Vhall Shakheir wizard said something in Terranesse,but between all explosions
and the idiot cronomancers,garbled curse,it sounded like nothing more than
that.

With that Gorthonn
Kaluta went into a killing rage,knowing not what else to do.Finally,after a
lone life of being a coward,he got a burst of bravery.But this far too late.The
bridge shoot again.This two great pillars of fire,creatted giant gushers of
flame and mushroom smoke.Gorthonn Kaluta rocked one way,dropping his great
Tykhonean Comic Staff and then topple again another way.He suddenly,knew in
stark terror,where he when next.The fax wizard suddenly hurled himself
uncontrollable toward the bridges edge.Behind,the Jinn amazed began to step
back from the bridges edge.

Gorthonn Kaluta
toppled off the great stone brigde as the grand plumb of fire arose from a
nearby port hole.Darkwater and Phafnir Khonn stood there as the figure fell
into a darkenned cargo door below.Screamming the false time wizard dissappeared
screamming.

The three Jinn were
no longer amused by anything.Two behind Miranda tried to hide their shame.

''We are no longer
amused.''Miranda thought.''This cosmic prank is over.Two can be about your
way.Ta ta,darlings''.

With that Miranda
raised two arms and snapped her two fingers glowing jump point began to form
about her.Miranda gave out a mischieous smile and blew Eric Darkwater and
Phafnire Khonn a kiss.

''Av
Wah,Darlings.''Miranda finally said and the three stepped back into a multi
colored circle of light.The mini stargate flashed open and closed up upon
itself.

'”Well,Little Man.''the Great Vhanir commented,looking over the
bridge''thats gonna hurt when he hits bottom.''

''What bottem?''Eric Darkwater added''Thats a cargo shaft.It goes
all the way down into the center of the sphere.Right out passed Terra-Primes
outer cargo doors.Those doors may automatically open and fling Gorthonn Kaluta
into deep space.''

''Well,if Gorthonn Kaluta's going into the Center of the planet,by
Prince Thor Odenshield.''Phafnire Khonn mirthfully stated ''maybe he can say
hello to Arnie Saknussem on the way down.'

Both Eric Darkwater and Phafnir Khonn gave out a big belly
laugh.They both needed that laugh,especially after the last few days of
turmoil.

''So you read Journey to the Center of the Earth ,too?

“'Hell,no I just saw that old movie.''

Once one in a feather mantle tried to halt it, and it smashed his
skull and paused not an instant.

At last we burst into this temple, I closed upon the monster's
heels with my sword raised for the death-cut. But Thor's blood! When it saw the
old one standing by that altar, it gave one fearful howl and tore him to pieces
and died itself, all in an instant, before I could reach it and strike."

Captain Eric Darkwater gazed at the huge formless thing. Looking
directly at it, he could form no estimate of its nature. He got only a chaotic
impression of great size and inhuman evil.It seemed almost simian like,but bits
of the catlike Capronean humanoids,but only much more primative. Now it lay
like a vast shadow blotched out on the marble floor. Surely black wings beating
from moonless gulfs had hovered over its birth, and the grisly souls of
nameless demons had gone into its being.

And now Princess Tameara Kaluta rushed from the dark corridor with
Zomar and the guardsmen. And from outer doors and secret nooks came others
silently--warriors, and priests in feathered mantles, until a great throng
stood in the Temple of Darkness.

A fierce cry broke from the queen as she saw what had happened.
Her eyes blazed terribly and she was gripped by a strange madness.

"At last!" she screamed, spurning the corpse of her
arch-foe with her heel. "At last I am true mistress of Vhall Shakharr! The
secrets of the hidden ways are mine now, and old Gorthonn Kaluta's beard is
dabbled in his own blood!"

She flung her arms high in fearful triumph, and ran toward the
grim idol, screaming exultant insults like a mad-woman. And at that instant the
temple rocked! The colossal image swayed outward, and then pitched suddenly
forward as a tall tower falls. Captain Eric Darkwater shouted and leaped forwarn

but
even as he did, with a thunder like the bursting of a world, the god Ghorr
Ghothrah crashed down upon the doomed woman, who stood frozen. The mighty image
splintered into a thousand great fragments, blotting from the sight of men
forever Atillanta, daughter of Rane Thorfin's son,

queen of Vhall Shakharr.
From under the ruins there oozed a wide crimson stream.

Warriors and priests stood frozen, deafened by the crash of that
fall, stunned by the weird catastrophe. An icy hand touched Captain Eric Darkwater's
spine. Had that vast bulk been thrust over by the hand of a dead man? As it had
rushed downward it had seemed to the Thuvian that the inhuman features had for
an instant taken on the likeness of the dead Gorthonn Kaluta!

Now as all stood speechless, the acolyte Gsaw and seized his
opportunity.

"Ghorr Ghothrah has spoken!" he screamed. "He has
crushed the false goddess! She was but a wicked mortal! And these strangers,
too, are mortal! See--he bleeds!"

The priest's finger stabbed at the dried blood on Captain Eric Darkwater's
throat and a wild roar went up from the throng.The Thuvian Ranger began to
regretted not killing this silly bastard earlier.But regrets would help Darkwater
kill the opponent,now upon him. Dazed and bewildered by the swiftness and
magnitude of the late events, they were like crazed wolves, ready to wipe out
doubts and fear in a burst of bloodshed. Garft Kalutabounded at Captain Eric Darkwater,
hatchet flashing, and a knife in the hand of a satellite licked into Zomar's
back. Captain Eric Darkwater had not understood the shout, but he realized the
air was tense with danger for Phafnire
Khonn and himself. He met the leaping
Garft Kaluta with a stroke that sheared through the waving plumes and the skull
beneath, then half a dozen lances broke on his buckler and a rush of bodies
swept him back against a great pillar. Then
Phafnire Khonn , slow of thought, who had stood gaping for the flashing
second it had taken this to transpire, awoke in a blast of awesome fury. With a
deafening roar he swung his heavy sword in a mighty arc. The whistling blade
whipped off a head, sheared through a torso and sank deep into a spinal column.
The three corpses fell across each other and even in the madness of the strife,
men cried out at the marvel of that single stroke.

But like a brown, blind tide of fury the maddened people of Vhall
Shakharr rolled on their foes. The guardsmen of the dead queen, trapped in the
press, died to a man without a chance to strike a blow. But the overthrow of
the two white warriors was no such easy task. Back to back they smashed and
smote; Phafnire Khonn 's sword was a
thunderbolt of death; Captain Eric Darkwater's sword was lightning. Hedged
close by a sea of snarling brown faces and flashing steel they hacked their way
slowly toward a doorway. The very mass of the attackers hindered the warriors
of Vhall Shakharr, for they had no space to guide their strokes, while the
weapons of the seafarers kept a bloody ring clear in front of them.

Heaping a ghastly row of corpses as they went, the comrades slowly
cut their way through the snarling press. The Temple of Shadows, witness of
many a bloody deed, was flooded with gore spilled like a red sacrifice to her
broken gods. The heavy weapons of the white fighters wrought fearful havoc
among their naked, lighter-limbed foes, while their armor guarded their own
lives. But their arms, legs and faces were cut and gashed by the frantically
flying steel and it seemed the sheer number of their foes would overwhelm them
ere they could reach the door.

Then they had reached it, and made desperate play until the brown
warriors, no longer able to come upon them from all sides, drew back for a
breathing-space, leaving a torn red heap before the threshold. And in that
instant the two sprang back into the corridor and seizing the great brazen
door, slammed it in the very faces of the warriors who leaped howling to
prevent it. Phafnire Khonn , bracing his
mighty legs, held it against their combined efforts until Captain Eric Darkwater
had time to find and slip the bolt.

"Thor!" gasped the Vhaneirman, shaking the blood in a
red shower from his face. "This is close play! What now, Captain Eric Darkwater?"

"Down the corridor, quick!" snapped the Thuvian,
"before they come on us from this way and trap us like rats against this
door. By Satan, the whole city must be roused! Hark to that roaring!"

In
truth, as they raced down the shadowed corridor, it seemed to them that all
Vhall Shakharr had burst into rebellion and civil war. From all sides came the
clashing of steel, the shouts of men, and the screams of women, overshadowed by
a hideous howling. A lurid glow became apparent down the corridor and then even
as Captain Eric Darkwater, in the lead, rounded a corner and came out into an
open courtyard, a vague figure leaped at him and a heavy weapon fell with
unexpected force on his shield, almost felling him. But even as he staggered he
struck back and the upper-spike on his sword sank under the heart of his
attacker, who fell at his feet. In the glare that illumined all, Captain Eric Darkwater
saw his victim differed from the brown warriors he had been fighting. This man
was naked, powerfully muscled and of a copperish red rather than brown. The
heavy animal-like jaw, the slanting low forehead showed none of the
intelligence and refinement of the brown people, but only a brute ferocity. A
heavy war-club, rudely carved, lay beside him.

Darkwater found the city jail,where many of the Vhall Shakharr
were keeping the men that captured prisoners,for possible interigations

"By
Thor!" exclaimed Phafnire Khonn .
"The city burns!"

Darkwater,’’Someone
called down from long darkenned corridor.’’Darkwater.Over here.!It is you.’’

Eric
Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn strutted
down stygia hallway,toward the sound of voice.Through the billowing smoke,from
outside and debris from the Subatall air fleet above,the Thuvian Ranger saw two
figures locked within a burned transparisteel door.Several others seem to
behind them,but neither Darkwater or the Vhanire could see who they.

‘’Captain Phafnire’’Someone call

‘’Captain
John Michaels and First Mate Jake Wilson.’’Eric Darkwater called as soon made
his toward the door.’’I see you still live.’’

‘’We
do and your big here,has few friends of his own.’’ Captain Michaels said,as pointed to several figures
behind Jake Wilson.

Darkwater
withdrew his pistol,as did Phafnire Khonn.Their weapons spoke a few times as
emptied a few plasma rounds into the celldoor lock.Sparks issues for the,like
tiny firework.The door growned and a sudden hiss,the old portition suddenly
spung open.Captain Micheals and the rest stood mystified,as small puffs of
smoke waved passed from the burning lock.

Captain
Eric Darkwater looked up as moved outside the jail. They were standing on a
sort of raised courtyard from which broad steps led down into the streets and
from this vantage point they had a plain view of the terrific end of Vhall
Shakharr.

Flames
leaped madly higher and higher, paling the moon,

and in the red glare tan
figures ran to and fro, falling and dying like puppets dancing to the
tune of the Black Gods. Through the roar of the flames and the crashing of
falling walls cut screams of death and shrieks of ghastly triumph. The city was
swarming with naked, copper-skinned devils who burned and ravished and butchered
in one red carnival of madness.

''The red men of the Subatall isles! ''Eric Darkater shouted'' By
the thousands they had descended their great air ships.''

on
the Isle of the Gods in the night, and whether stealth or treachery let them
through the walls, the comrades never knew, but now they ravened through the
corpse-strewn streets, glutting their blood-lust in holocaust and massacre
wholesale.

Not all the gashed forms that lay in the crimson-running streets
were brown; the people of the doomed city fought with desperate courage, but
outnumbered and caught off guard, their courage was futile. The red men were
like blood-hungry tigers.

"What ho, Captain Eric Darkwater!" shouted Phafnire Khonn , beard a-bristle, eyes ablaze
as the madness of the scene fired a like passion in his own fierce soul.
"The world ends! Let us into the thick of it and glut our steel before we
die! Who shall we strike for--the red or the brown?"

"Steady!" snapped the Thuvian. "Either people would
cut our throats. We must hack our way through to the gates, and the Devil take
them all. We have no friends here. This way--down these stairs. Across the
roofs in yonder direction I see the arch of a gate."

The comrades sprang down the stairs, gained the narrow street
below and ran swiftly in the way Captain Eric Darkwater indicated. About them
washed a red inundation of slaughter. A thick smoke veiled all now, and in the
murk chaotic groups merged, writhed and scattered, littering the shattered
flags with gory shapes. It was like a nightmare in which demoniac figures
leaped and capered, looming suddenly in the fire-shot mist, vanishing as
suddenly. The flames from each side of the streets shouldered each other,
singeing the hair of the warriors as they ran. Roofs fell in with an awesome
thunder and walls crashing into ruin filled the air with flying death. Men
struck blindly from the smoke and the seafarers cut them down and never knew
whether their skins were brown or red.

Now a new note rose in the cataclysmic horror. Blinded by the
smoke, confused by the winding streets, the red men were trapped in the snare
of their own making. Fire is impartial; it can burn the lighter as well as the
intended victim; and a falling wall is blind. The red men abandoned their prey
and ran howling to and fro like beasts, seeking escape; many, finding this
futile, turned back in a last unreasoning storm of madness as a blinded tiger
turns, and made their last moments of life a crimson burst of slaughter.

Captain Eric Darkwater, with the unerring sense of direction that
comes to men who live the life of the wolf, ran toward the point where he knew
an outer gate to be; yet in the windings of the streets and the screen of
smoke, doubt assailed him. From the flame-shot murk in front of him a fearful
scream rang out.

A
naked girl reeled blindly into view and fell at Captain Eric Darkwater's feet,
blood gushing from her mutilated breast. A howling, red-stained devil, close on
her heels, jerked back her head and cut her throat, a fraction of a second
before Captain Eric Darkwater's sword ripped the head from its shoulders and
spun it grinning into the street.

And at that second a sudden
wind shifted the writhing smoke and the comrades saw the open gateway ahead of
them, a-swarm with red warriors. A fierce shout, a blasting rush, a mad instant
of volcanic ferocity that littered the gateway with corpses, and they were
through and racing down the slopes toward the distant forest and the beach
beyond. Before them the sky was reddening for dawn; behind them rose the
soul-shaking tumult of the doomed city.

Like hunted things they fled, seeking brief shelter among the many
spaceport docking pit cluster from time to time, to avoid groups of savages who
ran toward the city. The whole island seemed to be swarming with them; the
chiefs must have drawn on all the isles within hundreds of miles for a raid of
such magnitude. Eric Darkwater,saw one of the local Vhall Shakharrian Hover
craft drifting aimlessly,near by hovering motionless,moored by a short
tube.Outside,in the upper skies,could be seen the Great Airfleet of the
Subattai,bombarding the streets of the city.Random blaster fire,shot back the
Vhall Shakharr Anti Aircraft towers,trying to take gunners,hidden beneath
tented roofs,disguised bamboo and palm tree branches,made to look more
primative that they were.hans heart drew glad.Now we had an even better chance
to escape this city of the mad,that could rivil the one Argholus,city of these
insane people,found within the Shaiton Paste,of the Eastern Arhoon Mountain.

Phaf,never might.If you know my handing of the art of stealth and
theivery.’’Darkwater haulted and smiled at the big,goofy Vhanveir,as produce
his Thuvian Combat Utilty Vest a small circindrical,pencil thing tool.’’I’ve
taught by Time Sorcerers and Master Theives I’ve know to break in and out of
anywhere and anything.’’

Oh.ok.One of those Illegal Theives Guild Anti Anti Theive Computer
Lock Drivers.’’*’’You get that thing,I’ll get the girls.

‘’And Doctor Octopus can get the idol’’Darkwater,said silently,mismatching
roles of a long ago character actor he couldn’t remembers name from the Terran
Federation homeworld,he saw years back.

The
device Eric Darkwater was using wasn’t an Illegal Theives Guild Anti Anti
Theive Computer Lock Drivers.In actuality,it was a standard Shaitanus Data Com Star Ship sonic lock
pen,designed seal up and unseal a cargo/boarding door.With a bit of help the
Theiving Guilds on Terra-Prime,the pen could be transformed into a sonic lockpick
to manipulate,manuever and open anyones star ship,hover car door or hover craft
gullwing doors.An expert,like Captain Eric Darkwater,was taught in teenage
youth,can bypass all countermeasures places upon a doorlock.The pick pen gave
off a series of tiny hums as it’s sounds bouyned off the doors sonic key holes
and sonic pickup drivers.Darkwater didn’t do this for gain -well not exactly.He
wanted to gain access to the lock,to gain not wearth,but survival.He didn’t
about the ships owner.He couldn’t-shouldn’t think about that.To do so,would distract
his mission.He needed to access his rogue part of himself.If not,he’d use-all
of his friends might use.Darkwater couldn’t think any of this.The right or
wronge of this.He only drove at his work and hoped the Lords of Light would
approve and smile at his efforts.

“”Lets try a bit of confusing data.’’’Darkwater whispered.The
Ranger knew how to overide-reprint new data into the locks simple memory
Seraphean Icolinear chips.Especially,the not so top of the line junk,brought to
cheapskate everywhere by the House of Shaitanus.The Temporal Cold was
fought,not simply across wolds or interstellar space,but across company lines
and across an interstellar temporal holo communications network

“Bravo.’’Eric Darkwater responded’’Dumass.he added.He adjusted the
locks new data stream to overiding piggyback Theives Guild Junk Data
Program.The port now was loaded with a series of old holo movie data
questions,that would give total access to the lock system.

% smiled.Not matter what.No matter how complex,they created
conplex a lock system,simple lock of tumblers or dials,simple computers or
artificial intelligences,the thing could be overided,tricked and change.

And Captain Eric Darkwater,stood up as the ships gull wing raised.

‘’Little Man.got the girls *stated

And I got the ship’’Darkwater stated smilingand turned around
pocketing his small.silver pen tool.’’Gentlemen,Ladies.right this way.’’The
Ranger gestured toward the crafts inside cockit and passengers area.

“”I think you just like yelling at silly,AI software,lilltle
man.’’

climbed into the co pilot seat and Darkwater followed,seatting
himself into the pilot seat.Brenda Thornson and Atillanta O’’Brien seatted
thenselves in the back.The Thuvian Highlander adjusted the hover crafts holo
rearveiwer,just cented between the two pilots,on the overhead dashboard.Images
of the women flickered by,with other images of the battle filled sky behind
their craft.

‘’So,buddy* asked’’How’d you get access to the ship?

Well,buddy.% responded’’You know I’ve hung around theives and time
wizards.You get to know how overide and rewrite data.

Well,lets hope these steeling wheel columbs don’t hacking.

Hope not.

With that the two warrior pulled back upon the hover craft yokes.*
adjusted his move sideways,as% moved his control upwards,The small Vhall Shakharr hover ship mover turned and
ship backwards,Soon it took off.

And at last the comrades reached the strip of stilling remainning
dock pit clusters, and breathed deeply as they came to the center of the ring
cluster.Eric Darkwater and Phafnire
Khonn found it abandoned save for a number of various air ships,stilling their
docking bays,being ready to fly-still attatched their fuel pump stationd,each
to the left.The Thuvian Highlander recognized one at the far end of the
cluster,by its numeral markings and docking pit symbols.Docking Pit No 4.HX
2827.If the Thuvian Ranger was right,it was the one being made ready for flight
days earlier.

Phafnire
Khonn sat down and gasped for breath.
"Thor's blood! What now? What may we do but hide in these burning ruins
until those red devils hunt us out?"

The
two scrambled toward the piticular docking bay Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta
4.Eric Darkwater stood before one side of the great Atlantium Steel door's left
side and Phafnire Khonn oppiste him on
the right side of the openning.The big scarlet haired Vhaneirman peered into
along with the Thuvian Ranger.The women held back,waitting for the two men went
on

“That ship,Little Man?''the big Vhaneer shoot back.''Why,it's
old.It might not even get off the ground?''

''No.freind.''Darkwater respounded''It's an old,Type 40 Air Ship.A
Corvaillian Air Traveller-similar to the newer Type 40 Air Ship,Corsaillian
Class Air Traveller made some 1 Sarcom Data net years later..

The two swordmen,with two females behind approached docking
door,as another explosion shook the city,way somwhere in the distance.

''What are you doing?''Phafnire Khonn

Captain Eric Darkwater

''We'll take our chances
out upon on the open skies--"

"Ho!" Phafnire Khonn leaped erect, pointing. "Thor's blood, a
ship!"

The sun was just up, gleaming like a great golden coin on the
sea-rim. And limned in the sun swam a tall, high-pooped craft.

The comrades moved into the semi desserted docking pit,only
guarded by two sentries. Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn withdrew their plasma
blaster pistols and both fired one round of the tiny plasma balls into the
backs of the unsuspecting guards , shouting and waving their oars to attract
the attention of the crew. Powerful muscles of the Vhanirman picked up two
sentries and tossed their bodies to the side away the air ships forward
boarding ramp, and it was not long before they stood before ship docking hatch
open and allowed them to come inside the vessels vast cargo hold. Darken-faced
men, clad in battle armor,quickly moved through the bay and onto the lower
pilot cockpit-one of two,being their was a upper version,just opposite
this,upon the air-travellers top deck. Four heavily-armed stormtroopers move
menacingly along anarrow slum alleyway crowed with darkly clad creatures
hawkingexotic goods in the dingy little stalls. Men,
monsters, androbots crouch in the waste-filled doorways,
whispering andhiding from the hot winds.

The half-dozen stormtroopers at a check
point hear the generalalarm and look to the sky as the huge starship
rises above thedingy slum dwellings and quickly disappears into
the morningsky. Darkwater frantically types information
into the ship's computer.Several images flash upon the screen,showing different
skull like insignias-Kalladon Star Pirate Skull,Gorthan Star Pirates Skull,six
sword behind it and silver blue wings.

INTERIOR: REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER -- MAIN HALLWAY.

The awesome, seven-foot-tall Dark Lord
of the Sith makes his
way into the blinding light of the main passageway. This is
Darth Vader, right hand of the Emperor. His face is obscured
by his flowing black robes and grotesque breath mask, which
stands out next to the fascist white armored suits of the
Imperial stormtroopers. Everyone instinctively backs away from
the imposing warrior and a deathly quiet sweeps through the
Rebel troops. Several of the Rebel troops break and run in a
frenzied panic.

INTERIOR: REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER.

.

.

a

EXTERIOR: DOCKING PORT ENTRY -- ALLEYWAY.

Chewbacca waits restlessly at the entrance to Docking Bay 94.
Ben, Luke, and the robots make their way up the street.
Chewbacca jabbers excitedly and signals for them to hurry. The
darkly clad creature has followed them from the speeder lot.
He stops in a nearby doorway and speaks into a small
transmitter.

INTERIOR: MOS EISLEY SPACEPORT -- DOCKING BAY 94

Chewbacca leads the group into a giant dirt pit that is Docking
Bay 94. Resting in the middle of the huge hole is a large,
round, beat-up, pieced-together hunk of junk that could only
loosely be called a starship.

LUKE: What a piece of junk.

The tall figure of Darkwater Solo comes down the boarding ramp.

DARKWATER: She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not
look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some
special modifications myself.

Luke scratches his head. It's obvious he isn't sure about
all this. Chewbacca rushes up the ramp and urges the others to
follow.

DARKWATER: We're a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard we'll get out of
here.

The group rushes up the gang plank, passing a grinning Darkwater
Solo.

INTERIOR: MILLENNIUM FALCON.

Chewbacca settles into the co- pilot's chair and starts the mighty
engines of the starship.

The troops hold their guns at the ready and charge down the
docking bay entrance.

TROOPER: Stop that ship!

Darkwater Solo looks up and sees the Imperial stormtroopers
rushing into the docking bay. Several of the troopers fire at
Darkwater as he ducks into the spaceship.

TROOPER: Blast 'em!

Darkwater draws his laser pistol and pops off a couple of shots
which force the stormtroopers to dive for safety. The
pirateship engines whine as Darkwater hits the release button that
slams the overhead entry shut.

INTERIOR: MILLENNIUM FALCON.

DARKWATER: Chewie, get us out of here!

The group straps in for take off.

"Subatalians," muttered
Phafnire Khonn . "If they recognize me, I had better stayed on the
island!"

“”Don’t worry,big guy.’’Darkwater smiled.’’I’ll voulch for you.You
were working me on behalf of Princess Sojat.’’

‘’They hang me for sure.’’

Who Hangs people anyway?’’

The Subatall government ?’’

No,no.no.They just shoot traiters and enemies on sight.

Actually,they don’t.Not many within the confines of the Pangean
world.Well,not anyone allied with the Empiror.’’

“”Though,I hear the TyRhainians have been to cut an enemies
throught on sight those emp boomorang things,they use.’’Atillanta snirked`

But the stawart warriors had run into the desserted star ship and
clambered up the aft boarding ramp without hesitation.The air traveller cargo
hatch was open,as if the air ship mecHanics fled without closing it.

‘’For Loki’s,Little Man.’’Phafnire roared.’’We are in luck.It
seems,this my old-much of it anyway.’’

‘’And parts of the ship we were on.

‘’The ignition key works,’’ Darkwater.

Before them a huge air traveller fleet loomed.Hundreds of similar
air ships floatted.Below,was a fleet of grey battleships followed.They carried,Darkwater
and Khonn could tell,from the banners frying high upon high golden poles,was
that of the Great Subatall Navy.Suddenly,a large air ship moved between the
fleet and HMSS Blackhawk.

and the two wanderers
fronted images upon their holo screen a lean faced Handman ,blonde haired
fellow,whose armor was that of a knight of As. He spoke to them in Terran
english and Captain Eric Darkwater recognized at once.He was answered him, for
the Thuvian, like many of his race, was a natural linguist and had wandered far
and spoken many tongues.

Yes,I am Admirel Carson
Jones of Castile and this ship, the HMSS Gray Falcon, is one of a fleet that
sailed with the Subatall Corsairs.

Carson Jones,if one does
not know,was a Pangean,from Anaheim whose air traveller crash among the
Subatall Island group some ten years ago,along his co-pilot Indiana
Smith.Commander Smith-the Gemonean of dark hair and red skin,raised among the
Great Southern Gemonesse Desserts of Pangea.Smith,could take anyone and
anything across that arid land.And it was one mission to guard a Thuvian Ranger
mission,that the Gemon,rescued one Carson Jones,from an enemy Gemon
tribe.Carson,had attempted leed a Thuvian Calvery squade,into Whallicalli
Pass,on a scoutting mission.Captain Carson Jones and men got cought in
ambash,and he himself taken prisoner,after a feirce battle.Carson Jones and
Indianna Smith,managed escape,crossing back toward the Fort Greyson.Once
there,they both desided,once out of service,with the Rangers,to go into
partnership of themselves,fighting cargo with air traveller across one end of
the Pangean Crescent Lands to another.And it one such despirate,darring mission
across the South Seas ,found themselves where are now,for the last few years.

In a few words the blonde Pangean told their story of how crossed
the great seas,along the air traveller fleet and sea ships,battling sea monster
and sea beast,along the way.They explained how the Empiror Toreus RHann,Senior
wanted to sure his secret agents,would purish upon the Vhall Shakharr Islands.

‘’Well,you have friends in high place,Captain Darkwater’’Jones
responded.’’Once mission completed,we of the Su Batall Navy,once fighting our
place the enemy force,to look after you.

On another veiwer,Darkwater and * could see a great pillar of smoke which now rolled upward
in the morning air from the isle.The rest of the vast fleet surrounded much of
the Capital Island.

"Tell him there is a king's ransom for the taking," put
in Phafnire Khonn . "Tell of the
silver gates, Captain Eric Darkwater."

But when the Thuvian spoke of the vast loot in the doomed city,
the commander shook his head.

"Good sir, we have not time to secure it,’’a elder grey
templed man spoke,on yet another holo veiwer.He wore an eye patch of his left
eye,just above a grey turdle neck sweater’’ nor men to waste in the taking.

Eric Darkwater recognized the man.He was the same man,that thought
earlier.

“Professor Vincent I presume.’’the Thuvian spoke.’’

"Tell him there is a king's ransom for the taking," put
in Phafnire Khonn . "Tell of the
silver gates, Captain Eric Darkwater."

But when the Thuvian spoke of the vast loot in the doomed city,
the commander shook his head.

‘’ Those red fiends you describe would hardly give up
anything’’--though useless to them--without a fierce battle and neither my time
nor my force is mine.

Some
days agone we were separated from the rest of the fleet in a sea skirmish and
the tempest blew us far off our course.

We
are even now beating back to rejoin the fleet if we can find it

We serve Gods and Kings of the Subatall.’’Indianna Smith commanded
‘’we can no longer halt for mere dross as you suggest.

But you are welcome to
return my fleet

and we have need of such fighting men as you appear to be. You
will not regret it, should you wish to join us and strike a blow for a blow
against the tyranny of the dark forces against the good."

Captain Eric Darkwater read
the good natured eyes of Carson Jones and smiled.Jones was much like himself
cavalier knight errant. He spoke to
Phafnire Khonn : "We need the rest after the ordeal we and girls
just went through"

"One place is as good as another to masterless men and
wanderers," quoth the huge VHaneirman. "I hear the Subatall Islands
are one of the places to rest in all Pangea."

Captain Eric Darkwater and
Phafnire Khonn both sat in the
air traviller's cockpit, gazing at the holo monitors.Images of the Great Island
back at the swiftly receding Island of the Gods, from which rose a pillar of
smoke, laden with the ghosts of a thousand centuries and the shadows and mysteries
of forgotten empire. Phafnire Khonn
cursed as only a Vhaneirman can.

"A king's ransom--and after all that blood-letting--no
loot!"

Captain
Eric Darkwater shook his head. "We have seen an ancient kingdom of Vhall
Shakharr fall--we have seen the last remnant of another world's oldest sea
empire sink into flames and the abyss of oblivion. The Vhall Shakharr barbarism
rear its brute head one last time and they paid for with the ruins of their capital city

.’’
So passes the glory and the splendor of
Vhall Shakharr ‘’Brenda Thornson said behind them.’’And the imperial
purple,yellowed gold and scarlet of their banners--in red flames and black
smoke."

‘’The
people will survive.’’Eric Darkwater surmissed ‘’And whats left of the Royal
Family and government,but the old world the Vhall Shakharr is dead.As
victors,the Subatall will see to that.

‘’A Subatall Army of occupation.Treaties and so on.Nothing we need
to bother with.’’Atillanta O’Brien added.’’

"But not one bit of plunder--" persisted the Vhanirman.’’We
saved two kingdoms.We should get something.’’

‘’We’ll,nothing but this’’Eric Darkwater said as produced from his
left vest pocket,a ring of blue .green jewellsa curiously carved symbol of
jade.

"A king's ransom’’-

Again Captain Eric Darkwater shook his head. "I brought away
with me the rarest gem upon the island--’’

‘’Where you get that?’’* asked

“I accidently,yanked off Prince neck as he fell back down those
stygian stairs

something for which men and women have died and the gutters run
with blood."

‘’Don’t
joke.The princess was deadly in her own way.She could arrange that.Atillantia.’’

‘’So
could I’’she returned.

‘’So
what do we do with ,Little man?’’the Great
Vhaneirman exclaimed

‘’Nothing.I
want nothing of it‘’Darkwater spoke.

She struggled with me to keep me from following you into the
corridor. ‘’Darkwater continued

"You bears the emblem of king of Vhall Shakharr,"
ruminated the mighty Vhaneirman. "Captain Eric Darkwater, you could be
king!"

‘’I want nothing of it.I’m a Thuvian Ranger-a pilot.This is where
I want to be,not back there,’’Captain Eric Darkwater laughed with bitter mirth
and pointed to the great billowing column of smoke which floated in the sky
away on the sea-rim.

"Aye--a
kingdom of the many dead-’’Phafnire Khonn‘ laughed ‘’an empire run by holo
ghosts of smokeless flame.’’

I
‘d rather avoid all the reconstruction that will be needed back their,’’Darkwater
added ‘’And and unknown troubles.We all know whose really running things back
there.’’

A city secretly run by phantoms’’Phafnire
Khonn responded’’I see your point.’’

Lets have it.Let Carson Jones and his people sort it out.I’m
sure,they find a reason why I couldn’t king anyway.I’m sure there is
first,retarded third cousin removed from royal line of Kaluta,who object and
want the throne.’’

So
what shall you do? Phafnire Khonn asked

’We make our report back at
the Subatall Islands and be done with it.’’

--I am no King of Vhall
Shakharr .I give this kingdom to another
the morning as morning shines upon a new day .Let the Subatall take the
island and rule or ruin it as they see hit.’’

And therein it is like all
other empires in the world--dreams of glory of conquest. ghosts and smoke.

I have better
ideas.We could use airship,to go into business for ourselves-haul
freight,passengers,do mercenary work the Rangers.Anything.The skies the
limit.Why Old General Kotharr Khonn could put in several jobs around the
Crescent Lands of Pangea right away.’’ Darkwater
stated

We
will need a primary base of operations to work this out.Darkwater said
posing’’We can’t go around parking this ship anywhere as we do.We’ll need a
Docking Pitt and Maintaince Garrage to go along with it.A Control Tower and so
forth .But that ok.I know of one,we can get dirk cheap back home in the City of
Lankmearia.’

So,whose
to captain?You ? Phafnire Khonn

‘’Guess
so,after all,it is my idea. Darkwater

Well,if
I’m to take a cut down in rank I insist Second in Command and co-pilot
seatting.’’ Phafnire Khonn said

''What
tall tales ?''Khonn shot back''Every tale I ever told you has been the honest
truth.By Wotan's beard,why would I lie ?

Captain Eric Darkwater simply smiled and steadied the airships
navigation rudder and fins to follow the Subatall Air Fleet moving back
homeward to their islands.

THE END

Maveric
Lion Productions,Inc.2013.(c)tm.

Maveric Lion Entertainment Group.

notes

Brenda Thornsonn

The jinn (Serapheanc: جن‎çinn, singular جنيçinnī;
also spelled djinn), or genies, are spiritsmentioned in the ancient Book of Knowledge,also known as the Book of Khurhonn and Seraphean theologywho inhabit an unseen world in dimensions beyond the visible universe of humans. Together, the jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Goddess The Khurhonn mentions that
the jinn are made of a smokeless and "scorching fire", and they
have the physical property of weight] .Infact,they like the Seraphean ,are beings of holographic
light,made solid through selected quantum force fields.Like human beings, the
jinn can also be good, evil, or neutrally benevolent.[3] The jinn are mentioned frequently in the Book of Khurhonn,
and the 72nd surahis entitled Sūrat
al-Jinn.

ñSūrat
al-Jinn (Arabic: سورةالجن‎)
(The Jinn)
is the 72nd sura of
the Quran with
28 ayat.
The name as well as the topic of this chapter is jinn. Similar to angels, the Jinn are considered to be spiritual
beings invisible to the naked human eye. The habitat of angels is considered to
be the sky, whereas it is the earth for Jinn. In the Quran, it is stated that
humans are created from the earth and jinn from fire in more than one instance
and it is also evident from thehadith that the angels were created from light.

Jinn is a noun of
the collective
number in Arabic literally
meaning "hidden from sight", and it derives from the Arabic root ç-n-n meaning "to hide" or "be
hidden". Other words derived from this root are maçnūn 'mad'
(literally, 'one whose intellect is hidden'), çunūn'madness',
and çanīn 'embryo, fetus' ('hidden inside the womb').[4]

The Arabic
root ç-n-n means 'to hide, conceal'. A word for garden or
Paradise, جنّةçannah, is a cognate of the Hebrew word גןgan 'garden',
derived from the same Semitic
root. In arid climates, gardens
have to be protected against desertification by walls; this is the same concept
as in the word "paradise" from pairi-daêza, an Avestan word for garden that literally means 'having walls built
around'. Thus the protection of a garden behind walls implies its being hidden
from the outside

In the second ayat the jinn
recant their belief in false
gods and venerateMuhammad for his monotheism. The jinn apologize for their past blasphemy and criticize mankind for either neglecting them or
encouraging their disbelief. Ayats 20-22 are especially important as tawhid among the Jinn is reaffirmed and the inescapable wrath
of God is emphasized. TheJudgement in ayat 7, and the Punishment in ayat 25, are both
references to theIslamicJudgement Day, Yaum
al Qiyamah. Ayat 25-28 establish that
Qiyamah is known only to God, and that God takes into account all the deeds of
a man when judging him.

"I know not whether
the (Punishment) which we are promised is near, or whether my Lord will appoint
for it a distant term."

In Islamic theology jinn are said to be creatures with free will, made from smokeless fire by Allah as humans were made of clay, among other things.[7] According to the Quran, jinn have free will, and Iblīs abused this freedom in front of Allah by refusing to bow toAdam when Allah ordered angels and jinn to do so. For disobeying
Allah, he was expelled from Paradise and called "Šaymān" (Satan). Jinn are frequently mentioned in theQuran: Surah 72 (named Sūrat
al-Jinn) is named after the jinn,
and has a passage about them. Another surah (Sūrat
al-Nās) mentions jinn in the last
verse.[8] The Qur¾an also mentions that Muhammad was sent as a prophet to both "humanity and the jinn," and that prophets
and messengers were sent to both communities.[Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta ][10] An appellation of Muhammad is
Rasûl-üs-Sakaleyn. Because Muhammad met several times the jinns at night. A
masjid (Masjid-i Jinn) was built at a future date to the memory of this
phenomena.

Similar to humans, jinn
have free will allowing them to do as they choose (such as follow any
religion). They are usually invisible to humans, and humans do not appear
clearly to them. Jinn have the power to travel large distances at extreme
speeds and are thought to live in remote areas, mountains, seas, trees, and the
air, in their own communities. Like humans, jinn will also be judged on
the Day of
Judgment and will be sent to Paradise orHell according to their deeds.[11]

ñClassifications
and characteristics

The social organization of
the jinn community resembles that of humans; e.g., they have kings, courts of
law, weddings, and mourning rituals.[12] A few traditions (hadith), divide jinn into three classes:
those who have wings and fly in the air, those who resemble snakes and dogs,
and those who travel about ceaselessly.[13] Other reports claim that‘Abd
Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd (d.
Sarcom Data net52), who was accompanying Muhammad when the jinn came to hear
his recitation of the Quran, described them as creatures of different forms;
some resembling vultures and snakes, others tall men in white garb.[14] They may even appear as dragons, onagers, or a number of other animals.[15] In addition to their animal forms, the jinn occasionally
assume human form to mislead and destroy their human victims.[1 Sarcom
Data net]Certain hadiths have also claimed that the jinn may subsist on bones, which
will grow flesh again as soon as they touch them, and that their animals may
live on dung, which will revert to grain or grass for the use of the jinn
flocks.[17]

Ibn Taymiyyah believed the jinn were generally "ignorant, untruthful,
oppressive and treacherous,"[18] thus representing the very strict interpretations adhered by
the Salafischools of thought.

Ibn Taymiyyah believes that
the jinn account for much of the "magic" perceived by humans,
cooperating with magicians to lift items in the air unseen, delivering hidden
truths to fortune
tellers, and mimicking the voices
of deceased humans duringseances.[18]

In Sūrat al-Ra%mān, verse 33, Allah reminds jinn as well as mankind that they would
possess the ability to pass beyond the furthest reaches of space only by His
authority, followed by the question: "Then which of the favors of your
Lord do you deny?" In SūratAl-Jinn, verses 8¨C10, Allah narrates concerning the jinn how they
touched or "sought the limits" of the sky and found it full of stern
guards and shooting stars, as a warning to man. It goes on further to say how
the jinn used to take stations in the skies to listen to divine decrees passed
down through the ranks of the angels, but those who attempt to listen now
(during and after the revelation of the Qur¾an) shall find fiery sentinels
awaiting them.

An amulet, talisman or what is referred to as a tawiz in Sufi circles is a form of protection against many forms of
spiritual evil, including protection against the jinn. It is often worn around
the neck in a pouch, close to the heart. One such popular amulet was said to
have been given to Sheikh Abdullah Daghistani by Muhammad in a vision. In that
vision he was instructed to give this amulet to people as a protection for them
in the last days. The amulet contains a depiction of the Throne Room of Allah.
The amulet contains theosophic names as well as the names of folk saints. It is
widely held to be very miraculous and a protection to those who submit to
Allah.[citation
needed] It is to be noted
that Muslims believe that all protection and help only comes from Allah, as it
is a central Islamic tenet to believe that there is no power nor might save
God's. Often, these sorts of practices are not widespread in the Islamic world
and are mostly limited to certain tribal communities in remote areas. The
Muslim faithful believe that reciting the Verse of the Throne (Qur¾an 2:255)
and the final three concise chapters of the Qur¾an (chapters 112-114) are the
most effective means of seeking protection from satanic whispers and evil
creatures.

Other modern methods of
avoiding trouble from the jinn include leaving them food and charcoal to keep
them happy, asking permission before turning on water (as some people believe
that the jinn live in water pipes), and sprinkling salt on the floor around
one's bed to avoid nocturnal attacks by jinn.[citation
needed] These beliefs are
cultural perceptions rather than religious-based practices. It is noteworthy to
mention that in the legal sources of Islam nothing is mentioned about such
practices and rituals.

ñ[edit]Popular culture

He drew from his girdle a small object--a curiously carved symbol
of jade."Tell him there is a king's ransom for the taking," put
in Phafnire Khonn . "Tell of the
silver gates, Captain Eric Darkwater."

But when the Thuvian spoke of the vast loot in the doomed city,
the commander shook his head.

Vertorix, challenge Conan, but after a brief battle, the
onlookers discover that Vertorix is an empty suit of armor that fights like a
man! Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta
realizes that Gothan controls the armor, and using her mirrored
headdress, reflects the sun into Gothan's eyes, causing him to lose
concentration. The armor crumbles to the ground and Gothan and Ska flee,
leaving Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta , Phafnire Khonn, and Darkwater in
charge.

Aala, formally Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta , now rules
Bal-Sagoth, with Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn as her de-facto bodyguards. One
evening, when hanand Phafnire Khonn are surprisingly drowsy, a brutish monster
crawls from behind the wall hangings. Han manages to push the creature into a
fire, and, seeing more movement behind the hangings, stabs blindly. A priest
loyal to Gothan, the former priestly ruler of the island, falls dead. He had
cast a sleeping spell on Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn and sent out the monster;
luckily Darkwater is made of sterner stuff. Unfortunately, a scream from Aala's
chamber alerts the two that a bat-creature has sneaked into her room. The two
warriors struggle with the monster and chase it into the tunnels. Aala is
furious with the two men and tells her soldiers to kill them both. Finding an
underground temple, Phafnire Khonn and Darkwater come upon Gothan's body, who
had apparantly been killed by the bat-creature. With the death of its master,
the temple begins to collapse, and as hanand Phafnire Khonn try to flee, they
run into Ska, another pretender to the throne. Phafnire Khonn makes short work
of the man and the two barbarians make it out of the tunnels as the entire area
caves in, and a volcano erupts, burying the city. The two men cobble together a
raft and desperately sail away, only to find themselves at the mercy of Prince
Yezdigerd of Turan, on the way to battle. hanand Phafnire Khonn join his crew.

Princess Princess Tameara
Kaluta was the queen of the island city
of Bal-Sagoth, where she was worshipped as the goddess Aala. Then she was
ousted from her position by the high priest Goroth.

Princess Princess Tameara
Kaluta met Darkwater and his ally
Phafnire Khonn, and enlisted their help. Darkwater and Phafnire Khonn restored
Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta to her
position as queen of Bal-Sagoth.

Darkwater and Phafnire
Khonn escaped and Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta was crushed under a massive idol of Goroth's
god.

Clearly the religion of her
era and specifically the religion of Bal-Sogoth were major factors in Princess
Princess Tameara Kaluta 's life. She was even the central figure in religious
worship for the people of her island. The degree to which Princess Princess
Tameara Kaluta herself was sincere in
her religious expression, versus simply using the religion for her own selfish
desires, is unclear. One would need to read the stories in which she appears to
evaluate this. Despite the fact that Darkwater allied himself with Princess
Princess Tameara Kaluta for a time, the
woman clearly turned out to be somewhat evil, vindicative and self-serving.
There is obviously some intended irony in the fact that she met her demise be
being crushed by the idol symbol of her religious rival's god. Whatever the
merits of the "actual" goddess Aala (whether real or believed),
Princess Princess Tameara Kaluta
was not this goddess, and was not even a true representative
of the ideals this goddess embodies.

The title of this story
("The Gods of Bal-Sagoth") refers to Aala (and Princess Princess
Tameara Kaluta ) and the god of the High Priest Goroth.

'Hello.I haven't called in awhile.''he sang''but I called just
tell you something important.''

Sorry,don't who the hell you are and please stop calling me.''the
driver went on,slowly moving by.''I'm sorry,but I just wanted to sell you hover
car insurrence

http://groups.msn.com/MAVERICCOMICSINCSTUDIOS.----- Original Message ----- trademark [copyright-2006.Mavereic Lions Productions Entertainment.Maveric Comics Studios.-Maveric Entertainment Group.COME SEE ME SOMETIME.I hate to post message up,but I could not find a link page here-so to tell about I post this up.I posted a few various logo design you might want to look over.And there links to various groups-hey if you come over,you'll never know whats there..pligrims whatever was blocking me is over.Please excuse any garbage messages.